Resolutions and Results
by godfatherambs
Summary: Girls Night Out Series following the ladies for an entire year of fun at Jake's.
1. Chapter 1

**Prompt: Hell Hath No Fury…**

**Prologue-New Year's Eve **

"Alright, ladies. The time has come," Kelly said dramatically, shaking an empty shoebox in her hands.

When none of the women sitting around her perked up, she smacked her hand against the dirty bar table. "This is supposed to be a cleansing," she reminded them, rolling her eyes at the lack of enthusiasm. "We are letting go of the past-"

"In hope for what?" Robin interrupted, sliding the bottle of tequila back and forth between her hands, clearly anxious to crack the seal and start pouring.

Kelly's shoulders fell and she shook her head. "I forget," she mused, glancing at the other women at the table, "the great Dr. Robin Scorpio has so little to live for."

"I was going to say in hope for a better future or some trite garbage like that," the dark haired doctor retorted, narrowing her eyes at her friend. "Who came up with this stupid idea anyway?"

"That would be me," Lainey answered, raising her eyebrows at Robin, as if challenging whether or not this was a good idea. "The entire purpose of this night is to let go of the past, and the best way to do that is to honor the memories the past brings."

"And get drunk afterward," Emily chimed in, leaning against the edge of the table, and propping her chin in her hand. "Seriously, when do we get to do the first shot of the night? That will make this whole thing-"

"Actually, you're supposed to the resist the urge to turn to drugs or alcohol," Lainey cut in, switching to her know-it-all, psychologist tone. "You're not supposed to drown your invulnerability or emotions-"

"But it makes everything so much better," Elizabeth, reaching out to grab the bottle from Robin's hands.

Grabbing the shot glasses that stood stacked in the center of the table, between a bowl of limes and two salt shakes, she slid a glass to each of her friends.

"I say we do a round in honor of the past year, then we do this whole thing that Lainey dreamed up for us," she said, pointing at the shoebox Kelly was holding.

"So, what exactly happens to the box afterwards?" Robin asked Lainey curiously, taking a lime from the bowl, then passing it around.

The psychologist frowned, pursing her lips, holding her glass as Elizabeth filled it. "Oh, well I hadn't thought about-"

"That's the most important part!" Emily cried, shaking her head. "We can't seriously put something in this-"

"Look, I can…I'll lock it in my office," Lainey cut in, with a shrug, licking her hand above her thumb before pouring salt onto it. "That way next year, we can look back and laugh on how stupid we were for letting one year be defined by such miniscule things."

"Engagements, deaths, addictions, and life changing tests are not miniscule," Robin replied, raising her eyebrows at her friend.

"At this rate we're going to need two rounds to get ahead," she murmured, rolling her eyes at her friends negativity.

"This coming from the person telling us not to drown our sorrows," Elizabeth mused, holding her shot glass in the air, then waiting for the rest of her friends to do the same.

"We all know psychologists are just as screwed up as their patients," Kelly pointed out, lime and shot in hand, clearly anxious to get the evening's antics going.

"Okay, ladies," Emily chimed in, tending to her role of the dutiful peacemaker. She nodded towards her shot glass. "You know what to do."

"Lick it," Kelly cried, holding her glass out, to meet everyone's. "Oh, how I love licking it."

"Licking what exactly?" Elizabeth teased, arching an eyebrow at her.

"Slam it," she continued, ignoring her friend. "Oh, and probably my favorite part; suck it."

Everyone laughed as they followed the rules they'd deemed the tequila trinity.

"You would think that would get better over time," Elizabeth gasped, making a disgusted face, as she sat her empty glass back on the table.

"Sure it does," Emily replied, nudging her with her elbow. "You just have to throw back a few more."

"No more until…" Kelly scolded, shaking the shoebox, to which everyone rolled their eyes. "Come on, who wants to go first?" When no one stepped forward, she dropped the box in the middle of the table. "Fine, we'll all go at once, since dragging this out is so painful."

None of the women replied. They just simply dug through their purse, then quietly held something in each of their palms. When Kelly held her hand over the box, they all followed, dropping each of their items into the box.

"I feel like a thirteen year old at summer camp," Elizabeth murmured, nervously tugging her hair into a loose bun, that she let rest at the nape of her neck.

"God, I wish I did," Kelly frowned, her eyes filling with nostalgia. "Me and Billy Hunter in one of the bathroom stalls."

"At thirteen?" Lainey cried, failing to hide her shock as well as the rest of her friends.

"What?" Kelly replied, holding up her hands. "I just wanted to see it."

"Oh, God," murmured Elizabeth, immediately reaching for the bottle of tequila. "I so do not-"

"Were you honestly not curious?" she asked, as if it was common for every thirteen year old girl to feel that way.

"Have you told your therapist this?" she asked back, ignoring the question at hand.

"Don't subject change me, Webber," Kelly said, jerking the bottle out of her hand to fill her glass, before passing the bottle on to Robin.

Elizabeth rolled her eyes, moving to sit on her knees, as she pulled the box towards her. "Oh, look, a condom. No surprise as to who that belongs to," she replied, flinging the tiny, silver package at her friend.

"Hey, I am seriously trying to cleanse myself of the horrors of addiction," Kelly said, clutching the square piece of foil to her chest. "Do you have any idea how it feels to know that it will be a long time before I get to unwrap one of these and actually use it?"

"Buy a vibrator," Lainey spoke up, causing everyone to burst into a fit of laughter.

"You must think you're really funny," she said sarcastically, jerking the box away from Elizabeth.

"I thought it was good advice," she replied, taking the bottle from Robin, and shrugging.

"Advice we should probably all follow," Emily mused, holding her glass out to Lainey to fill. Everyone looked at her in disbelief. "What? We all know it's the only way any of us are getting any."

"Holy hell," Kelly breathed, too distracted by the diamond ring she'd found in the box, to pay any attention to Emily's comment. She held it out in front of everyone, giving the girls a chance to fawn over. "Seriously, how did you walk away from that?"

Elizabeth grunted, shaking salt onto her hand. "You should have seen the matching tiara," she murmured, making a face.

"Tiara?" Robin asked, leaning over to take the ring from her friend. "Are you sure it's real?"

"It's an heirloom," she replied, rolling her eyes, as the ring was passed around the table.

"And he let you keep it?" Emily asked, cradling it in her palm. "You could hock this thing and buy a small country."

"Or you could slide it onto your finger and help rule one," Kelly pointed out, before licking her palm and tossing back her shot.

"I'm over it," the nurse muttered, grimacing after taking her second shot of the evening. It was clear it was going to take a few more before they started going down any easier. "I couldn't live up to that kind of pressure."

"Which is not the same as being over it," Lainey said in her doctor to patient tone. "You can pretend that you don't miss him or think about him-"

"Not like she couldn't forget about him when she's lugging this sucker around," Emily interrupted, still holding the ring, her face in complete awe. "If a man gave me something like this-"

"You'd feel the weight of the ball and chain way before he ever put it on you," Elizabeth cut in, snatching the ring from her hand, and tossing it into the box.

"Wait," Robin said, holding up her hand. "Is he letting you keep his family heirloom?"

She nodded. "Only because he thinks I'll come crawling back to him."

"Can I go in your place?" Kelly asked, pouting her lip, as she stared down at the ring. "I'll go willingly."

"Except you can't put out," Robin replied, half snickering as she poured another round of shots. "And we all know-"

"This topic is not up for discussion," Elizabeth said, narrowing her eyes at her friends.

"Oh, she's so not over it," Kelly mused, bringing the shot to her mouth, completely disregarding the tequila trinity for this round.

"I do not need a man anymore," she spat, her sapphire eyes raging with annoyance. "I am completely capable of being on my own, and for a man to insinuate that I'm not capable of doing that…Well, who needs that."

"So not over it," Lainey chimed in, frowning at her. "Denial is one of the most significant stages of grieving-"

"This coming from you," Elizabeth snapped, covering her mouth with her hand the second the words left her mouth. Her friend's face fell, and the entire table grew quiet. "Lainey, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring up your fath-"

"It's fine," she said, forcing a terribly fake smile at her. "I shouldn't be criticizing you." She ran a finger over the top of her shot glass as she stared down at the folded up piece of paper she'd dropped into the box. No one bothered to open it because they all knew it was a death certificate. "I can't really be objective about a damn thing these days."

"Which is completely understandable," Emily replied, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder, as she leaned against her. "Besides none of us are really in the position to say anything to each other."

"Emily's right," Kelly agreed, placing a hand on her chest. "I am a sex addict, and hell hath no fury like a horny woman."

"I am cold and bitter. A grade A ice queen," Robin said with a laugh, rolling her eyes at her friend's dramatics. "But how are you not supposed to be like that when the majority of people don't want you around, let alone touching them?"

"Not everyone can be so understanding," Emily replied, with a heavy frown. "People don't take the time to get educated these days, making it their loss, cause you are a phenomenal doctor."

She couldn't help but smile at her friend's encouraging words. "Are you really keeping this box in your office?" she asked Lainey, who nodded.

"Then, I'm switching," she continued, grabbing her car keys out of the box, everyone looking at her oddly. "What? It broke down on me yet again, so I told myself I was going to buy a new one." She stopped to pull a medical file out of her purse. "But I'd rather get rid of these."

She leaned forward, dropping the file into the box. "This is a big step for you," Lainey said, sounding proud that Robin was letting up on the one aspect of her life that always kept her down.

"Every piece of paper that focuses on my disease. Notes, prescriptions, T-cell counts," she rattled off, looking satisfied to be rid of it all. "I'm not going to spend another second pouring over any of it cause nothing is worse than a woman who hates a majority of her life."

"Or one fresh out of a very serious relationship," Elizabeth said, scowling when everyone looked anything but convinced. "From here on out, I'm just out to have a good time."

"We should all drink to that," Emily replied seriously, filling another round of shots.

"You didn't spew any problems yet, honey," Kelly murmured, sitting back in her seat and crossing her arms.

"It's easy being Emily Quartermaine," Elizabeth teased, laughing to herself. "Your family loves you."

"Every doctor wants to sleep with you," Kelly griped, taking the bottle from Emily. Shaking her head in disgust, she brought the bottle to her lips, and took several long swigs. When she sat it back on the table, she frowned. "What if I just replace one addiction with another?"

"Then, you'll have double the twelve step programs," Lainey replied, clearly amused at the thought of Kelly losing something else she held dearly.

"If I can't have sex, I have to have alcohol," she said, sounding fearful at the possibility of losing her newest life staple.

"Most women would say chocolate in place of sex," Emily replied, flicking a peanut at the sex addict. "I know a good box of Godivas always does the trick for-"

"You'd be getting laid if you didn't have to schedule it in somewhere," Robin cut in, grabbing the shoebox from the table. "Please tell me you-Yes, you tossed that damn date book in here. I am so glad-"

"Only because you all harped on me over it," she said defensively. "Heaven forbid that I like my life organized. That I like to make neat lists. That-"

"You should be penciling Dr. Drake in for a four o'clock appointment," Kelly replied, grabbing the date book from the box. She flipped it open, turning several pages. "December first…Work seven to three…Manicure with Elizabeth at four…Dinner at five thirty with the Quartermaines…Work out from seven to eight…Shower-Wait, you schedule-"

"Allowing myself specific time periods, prevents me from wasting time," she cried, reaching across the table and jerking the book from her hand. "Idle hands are the devil's play things, and now-"

"Now those hands will be doing a lot of playing," her friend said, grinning with envy. "You can use them for things like sliding those scrub bottoms off Dr. Drake's tight-"

"We are not talking about this anymore," she practically shouted, her face turning flushed.

"Oh, you've totally thought about it!" Robin teased, causing everyone to laugh.

"Who hasn't?" Kelly asked, resting her chin in her hand, her eyes closed. "Those strong cheek bones, that messy hair, his body glistening beneath those showers in the locker room."

"This probably isn't helping you at all," Elizabeth replied, shaking her head.

Her eyes remained closed, a pleased smile spreading across her face. "Oh, it's helping."

"Thirty minutes till midnight," Kelly announced, her words only slightly slurred, after a bottle and a half of tequila with her friends.

"Look at all you beautiful ladies alone at midnight," came a low, husky voice behind them.

"Oh, the answer to my dreams," she replied, tilting back in her seat to see Patrick Drake, towering above her. "My very dirty dreams."

He leaned forward, his hands bracing her chair to keep her from falling backward. "Did you say dirty?" he asked, with a wink.

"Oh, if you only knew," she replied, biting her lip. "Though I think Emily has better dreams about you, you know the kind where-"

"Kelly has had five shots too many," Elizabeth cried, glancing at her friend who was now cradling her head in her hands, while Kelly laughed hysterically.

Patrick looked around at the girls, as if completely lost. "Leo and I are going to go grab a beer. We'll be back."

"Oh, you better be," Kelly called after them, waving flirtatiously at his friend. "God, those men are beautiful. How do you get any work done around them, Elizabeth?"

"Unlike you, I'm not imagining them naked when their hands are in someone's brain or chest," she replied sarcastically.

"No, you're too busy imagining that diamond giving ex-fiancé of yours," Robin piped up, looking around the bar. "Where is he by the way? Shouldn't he be here begging for you to kiss him at midnight?"

"He's too busy being all hot and lonely on Spoon Island," Kelly muttered, closing her eyes and grinning.

"Are you thinking about him?" Elizabeth shouted, reaching over to slap her on the arm.

Emily laughed, slumping back in her chair, her eyes heavy from the tequila. "Not so fun when she turns the table on you is it."

"Not that she cares," Lainey muttered under her breath. "She's over it, remember? This is her year to what? Be wild? Take charge?"

"Have one night stands!" Kelly jumped in, smacking the table excitedly. "But not one too many or else we'll be sharing a therapist."

"Having fun does not necessarily mean hopping into bed with some stranger," Elizabeth replied, staring at Kelly in disbelief. "You have to make everything so sex-"

"What are you ladies talking about?" Leo asked, appearing at Elizabeth's side, a chair in his hand.

"How Elizabeth is going to have hot, nights of-"

"Staying up and painting," Elizabeth hissed, glaring at her friend.

"That's only hot if you're naked," Patrick said, pulling up a chair beside Leo. "Are you going to be naked? Cause I'd like to be there."

Kelly's mouth fell open, and she slumped over the table. "They get all the good ones, Robin," she cried, holding a hand over her face.

"I do not paint naked," Elizabeth said slowly, looking at Emily for help, but her friend was still too horrified about the dirty dreams comment.

Lainey laughed as awkwardness flooded the table. "So, the year is almost over," she said, looking around at everyone. "Any last regrets? Mistakes to be made?"

"Resolutions?" Patrick asked, leaning back in his chair, beer in hand. "You guys do that whole bit yet? Exercise more? Eat less junk food?"

"Or in your case continue being fine as hell," Kelly muttered, causing Robin to burst out laughing, and everyone looked at them like they were crazy.

"I don't believe in resolutions," Lainey replied, eyeing her laughing friends suspiciously. "If you aren't already doing it, then why make a point to do it. Just seems kind of idiotic to me."

"That makes sense," Leo said with a nod. "Especially coming from a psychologist."

"Lainey's such a bore," Kelly spoke up, finally sitting up to face everyone.

"Well, we already know your's," she replied, narrowing her eyes across the table at her. "Less sex, more liquor."

She grunted. "And you say that like it's a bad thing."

"I think we can agree we just want to have fun this year," Elizabeth said simply, looking at the men. "We're just women scorned, out looking for a good time. Not taking life too seriously… And definitely no strings-"

"You are so not over it," Kelly hissed, reaching for the half full bottle of tequila.

"I am so," she cried, her whining only enhanced by her drunken state.

"Prove it," Lainey said, arching an eyebrow, and Elizabeth just glared. "What? It's psychologically proven that taking a step forward shows that-"

"What do you expect me to do?" she interrupted, throwing her hands up. "Bang the next man that walks into the bar? Is that how I show that I'm over the former love of my life? The man who gave me a diamond that would buy this city? Only to tell me that I have to play some dutiful-"

"So not over it," Emily muttered, apparently now over the awkward moment with Dr. Drake.

"Don't you start teaming up on me with them!" she shouted, causing heads around their table to turn.

"Oh, come on, you already said this was like summer camp," Robin pointed out. "Why not take it a further step? A little truth or dare, but only for you, of course."

Her jaw tightened, as she tipped her head towards Kelly, giving in to their demands. "I'm not having sex with anyone, let alone someone in this-"

"Fine, you just have to kiss them," she said glumly, as if that was just not as fun.

"At midnight!" Robin cried excitedly, and that seemed to perk Kelly up.

"But who do we choose?" Emily asked, suddenly looking enthralled with the idea, as she looked around the bar.

"No one already in this bar," Elizabeth said firmly, her face filling with shame, when it become clear she was going to go through with this.

"Is this what you girls do when we're not around?" Leo asked, shaking his head, as he sipped his beer.

"Apparently they do it when we're around too," Patrick replied to his friend, before leaning in towards the girls. "You have two very capable guys right here with you, and you're looking elsewhere."

"No woman could kiss you and walk away," Kelly replied flirtatiously, winking at him. "And we all know seeing as Elizabeth is not over it, she'll need to walk away, or else she be racked with guilt for sleeping with you. Especially when Emily is her best-"

"The next guy that walks in!" Emily cried, a pleased smile on her face, as she turned to Elizabeth. "You have to kiss the next guy that walks in the bar, which is okay by a technicality, cause he's not already in the bar."

"Bitch," Elizabeth muttered, causing every mouth at the table to drop. "What?"

"Forget her," Kelly said, clapping her hands. "We have to watch the door."

"You only have ten minutes," Patrick said, glancing at his watch.

"Oh, not you too," Elizabeth scowled, staring at the doctor, who gave her a blank look. "Seriously?"

"It's New Year's, and if I'm not kissing anybody at midnight, then why not help a friend," he replied with a shrug.

"So, I take it your resolution is do unto others?" Kelly asked, sitting back in her chair, her eye on the door. "Cause I know there is much doing that could be done."

"Obviously Kelly's resolution is to not fall off the wagon," Robin replied, pointing at her. "Which at this rate, we'll be fortunate if she makes it to next Friday."

Patrick laughed, his eyes shifting over to Emily's. "What's yours?" he asked, obviously curious as to why she was being so quiet.

"Um, just like Elizabeth said," she muttered, stumbling over her words. "Have fun…You know, be less by the book."

"Have a fling," Kelly said seriously. "Emily's goal for this year is to have a fun filled romance that has tons of good sex."

"You handing out resolutions now?" Leo asked, placing his empty beer bottle on the table.

"Yeah, your's is to get a new hairstyle," she replied without skipping a beat.

"Oooo, burn," Lainey said, laughing into her shot glass, as she took one last shot for the new year.

"Lainey's is to stop psychoanalyzing everyone she meets," she continued, eyes still on the door. "Robin's is too lighten up and realize that her life is not defined by HIV. She controls who she is, not her disease."

"Going deep there, Kelly?" Emily asked, shaking her head.

"And Elizabeth's is…" Her voice trailed off as her eyes lit up at whatever she was looking at across the room. "To kiss that gorgeous man in the leather jacket that just walked in."

"Leather?" Elizabeth asked, making a face, as she stretched to find him.

"Oh, yes," Kelly breathed, her eyes lingering on him as he made his way to the bar. "Now that is a man that you can just imagine wrapping your legs around."

"Time's running out," Lainey clucked, as Patrick checked his watch, and held it out for Elizabeth to see.

"This is stupid. I can't just walk up and kiss a complete-"

"If you're over it, you can deal with the fact that you just drank at least ten shots of tequila, you broke up with the supposed love of your life, and you want to have fun," Kelly interrupted, getting up and walking around the table to her.

Bending down, she grabbed Elizabeth's arm, pulling her to her feet. "Now, let's go."

"I am not doing this," she muttered, her feet moving on their own as Kelly tugged her in the direction of the bar. "Kelly, I am serious."

"It's not like you're ever going to see him again," she replied, slowing her pace as they came up behind him. She looked at Elizabeth thoughtfully, silently debating the best possible way to go about this, and then everyone around them started chanting.

"_Twenty!" _

"Oh, hell," she murmured, stepping behind Elizabeth, placing her hand on her shoulders. "Just do it, Webber. I have faith in you."

_"Sixteen!" _

"This is insane."

_"Fourteen!"_

"A kiss is just a kiss, unless you have a reason for it not to be," she reminded her. As the countdown reached ten, she called out good luck, shoving Elizabeth towards him.

Sure enough, she stumbled into his back, knocking him against the bar. She would have fallen to the floor herself, had the man not turned around hurriedly, and caught her by the arm.

"You okay?" he asked, Elizabeth staring up into the most gorgeous set of blue eyes she had ever seen in her life.

"_Six!" _

"Sorry…A little drunk," she replied, wincing with embarrassment.

"_Five!" _

"No need to be sorry," he murmured, his hands on her sides, holding her steady in front of him.

"_Four!" _

"Oh," she replied dumbly, leaning against him when the room started to spin.

"_Three!" _

"You sure you're okay?" he asked, dropping his head so that his mouth was just beside her ear.

"_Two!" _

Tipping her head back, she looked up at him with a nervous grin, while the girls hooped and hollered from the back of the bar. Grabbing his jacket, she gave it a slight tug forward, his brow furrowing with curiosity.

"Happy New Year," she whispered softly, placing her lips over his.

"_One!" _


	2. Chapter 2

**Prompt: Do you want fries with that?**

**January**

"This really isn't my kind of thing," Nadine Crowell murmured, smoothing her hands over the front of her black, button down sweater.

Elizabeth smiled sweetly at the timid blonde, almost feeling sorry for the poor girl. The girls were going to make an example out of her, ensuring that at least by midnight, this would definitely be her thing.

"Don't worry," she said, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. "The girls are a lot of fun. You think they're characters at the hospital? Just wait till they get a few shots of tequila in their system."

"Tequila?" she asked, making a pained face.

"It goes down easy," Elizabeth replied, spinning towards the bar, and waving Coleman down. "Two shots of your best Tequila, sir."

"The best?' he asked, pulling a bottle of Patron from the shelf behind the bar. "Goes down like water."

"Perfect," she replied, slapping a twenty down on the bar. "This will be smooth, Nadine. We'll save the harsh stuff and Tequila Trinity for later."

"Tequila Trinity," the blonde echoed, tugging nervously at the end of her ponytail, as she wrapped her palm around the tiny shot glass.

"Lick it, Slam it, Suck it," Elizabeth filled in, lifting her glass in the air. "It makes it go down easy, but with Tequila this good-" She paused, looking at the few bills she had left over for change. "Not to mention the fact that it costs a bundle, you don't need the additives."

She gave the newest nurse to the staff at General Hospital a big grin, before expertly placing the glass against her own plump lips, and sucking the liquid dry. It ran down the back of her throat, forcing a warming sensation throughout her chest that caused her to shiver.

"I wish I could say I miss that feeling," Elizabeth said with a laugh, lowering her glass to the bar, as she noticed the man leaning against the doorway on the other side of the bar.

It was New Year's Eve all over again.

Nadine must have picked up on the shift in the air, glancing over her shoulder at the tall, blonde, leather jacket clothed man who was slowly making his way toward the pool tables. "You know him?" she asked, shifting her naïve, blue eyes back to her fellow nurse.

"We're acquaintances of sorts," Elizabeth answered coyly, sinking her teeth into her lower lip, as she contemplated what to do next.

She watched him shrug off his jacket, tossing it over the back of a chair, then turn back to the table and begin to rack the balls. He was doing his best to not look at her, but failed miserably, his cerulean eyes inching towards her more and more as he tried to look away.

"Well," she said to Nadine, reaching for her shot. "Seeing as you're not going to take this anytime soon, and I paid seven dollars for it, would you mind-"

"No, please," Nadine interrupted, sliding the glass towards her, watching sheepishly as the brunette threw back the shot as if it were nothing.

"Wish me luck," Elizabeth winked, adjusting her snug jeans over her hips, as she tossed her chocolate curls over her shoulder and headed for the back of the bar.

"I need details, Em," Kelly cried, shutting her car door, and waiting impatiently for her friend to slide out of the passenger's seat.

"You want me to say something creepy about how our hands grazed while we were knuckle deep in someone's brain," Emily said disgustedly, tightening her peacoat around her waist, as they headed for the entrance of Jake's.

"God, that just sounds so hot," she replied, laughing loudly, as she shook her head. "I really do need to get laid. I don't think the people in group understand this."

"Oh, I'm sure they do," Emily teased, tugging the door open. "You all need to get laid, but too bad you can't do it wisely."

"I tried," she pouted, following her friend inside the dark hallway. "I just didn't know when enough was enough…And God, do you know what it's like to be in a room with a group of fifteen sexually frustrated people?"

Her friend rolled her eyes, as they headed towards the front of the bar. "Do you guys undress one another with your eyes?" she teased, giving Nadine a polite wave as they headed towards her. "Think about all the lewd things-"

"Thank God none of them are that attractive," she interrupted, sliding her coat off her shoulders, and taking the stool previously occupied by Elizabeth. "Nurse Crowell, I hope you're ready for your initiation."

She laughed shyly, drumming her slender fingers against the edge of the bar. "I'm afraid I won't do so well at keeping up," she admitted, staring at the two empty shot glasses. "Though Elizabeth appears to be a pro."

"Where is that little Tequila shooter?" Emily asked, shrugging her coat off, and waving Coleman over.

"She's off flirting with Mr. Mysterious at the back of the bar," Nadine replied, nodding her head towards the back of the bar.

"Leather Jacket Man!" Kelly cried, clapping her hands. "Coleman, we need two rounds pronto! Our Lizzie is a budding…"

"Slut," Emily finished, taking the bottle from the bartender and sliding him a fifty. It was no secret that they did their best to keep the pervert away, unless of course he was pouring free drinks.

"Oh, isn't that a little harsh," Nadine muttered, frowning as she took a shot glass from Kelly.

"No, it's a good thing," Emily said enthusiastically, licking the skin between her thumb and forefinger, before pouring salt onto her hand. "She used to be so uptight-"

"That she never looked at another man," Kelly jumped in, taking the salt shaker from her friend. "But I suppose that's what happens when you're engaged to a Prince."

"A prince?" Nadine asked, taking the salt shaker as it was passed, doing her best to mimic the other women's actions.

"Prince Nikolas Cassidine," Emily answered, taking a slice of lime, and shoving the dish on down the line. "Of some Greek place or something."

"The ring was the biggest I ever saw," Kelly continued, holding a lime wedge out to the blonde. "Lainey has it in a shoebox in her office. Ask her to show it to you sometime."

"In a shoebox?" the blonde asked, looking between the salt on her hand, the lime wedge, and the shot.

"Yeah, along with my planner," Emily griped, licking her hand, sucking back the shot, and biting the lime.

"And my condoms," Kelly added, following her friend's actions.

"Condoms?" the blonde asked, taking a deep breath, before jumping in head first. She grimaced, holding her hand over her mouth, as the shot ran down her throat.

"Just breathe honey," Kelly said, smacking her on the back. "They'll get easier, I promise."

She nodded, her mouth twisted in disgust. "Condoms?" she choked out again.

Kelly nodded glumly, taking the bottle, and refilling the glasses. "I'm a recovering sex addict, so the therapist in Lainey decided she had to take my condoms," she said seriously, sliding the glass back to the blonde. "Just in case I was tempted."

"But you could still have sex without condoms," Nadine pointed out, eyeing the second shot suspiciously.

"Not with anyone in this town," Emily scoffed, shaking her head, as she divvied out lime wedges.

"Too true," Kelly agreed, holding her shot glass in the air. "To sex with condoms."

Nadine laughed, her eyes widening, as she stared at her coworkers. "To sex with condoms," she murmured, tinkling her glass with theirs.

"You play?" he asked, his voice low and husky, as Elizabeth pressed her hip against the edge of the pool table.

"If I say I don't, are you going to give me a lesson?" she asked, arching an eyebrow at him, taking the cue ball in the palm of her hand.

"If you want a lesson all you have to do is ask," he replied, coming around the table towards her, his hand plucking the ball from her hand. "But something tells me you know how to play the game."

"I may know a thing or two," she said coyly, leaning forward and wrapping her fingers around the stick, and tugging it out of his hand. "I break."

For a second, Elizabeth thought he was aggravated with her blatant flirtation, but he just waved a hand towards the pool table. "Take your best shot."

"I plan on it," she said, poking him gently in the chest, before stepping past him. She shimmied her hips, as she made her way to the other end of the pool table, well aware at where his eyes laid.

"I wouldn't be surprised if you knew how to play well," he mused, taking a stance opposite from her, his hands planted firmly on the edge of the table. "I've seen you in here from time to time with that boy toy of yours. Prince what's his name?"

She scratched, the edge of the stick digging into the green fabric, the cue ball bouncing hard over the side of the table. How in the hell did he know about Nikolas?

"Lemme guess…You two have a fight?" he asked, flashing her a smug grin, as he rounded the table to pick up the cue ball. "And now, you're out to make him jealous?"

Straightening up, she tugged at the hem of her shirt, suddenly feel exposed. Had she been holding a drink in her hand, she wouldn't have hesitated to toss it in his face, simply because she didn't like his tone.

"Did you tell him how you spent your New Year's?" he pressed, dropping the cue ball on the table.

"Nikolas and I are no longer together," she said, eyeing him suspiciously as he walked over to the table with his beer on it. "So to answer your question, I'm not out to make anyone jealous."

"Really?" he asked, taking a long sip of his beer. "Cause he was in here asking about you the next day, like there was something he deserved to know."

"I see," she replied, folding her arms over her chest, as she let his words sink in.

She had no idea who the hell Nikolas Cassidine thought he was to be keeping tabs on her, but she sure as hell was going to do her best to give him something worth knowing.

"I didn't mean to upset you," he said, after a few minutes of silence.

"No, you just thought you'd be an asshole," she replied, shifting her eyes to his. "So what if I'm out to make him jealous? How would that even concern you?"

"When you're putting your lips on mine, it concerns me," he said, cocking his head and staring down at her.

"I'm a free woman," she replied, plucking his beer out of his hand, and taking a big gulp. "I can put my mouth wherever I want to, and you should be so lucky that I even considered putting it against yours."

"After a bottle of tequila, I don't think it matters whose lips you're touching, just as long as you've got a pair that feels nice," he pointed out, jerking the beer back from her hand. "And don't touch my beer."

"He's killed people for less," came a gruff voice behind her, and she turned around to see a shorter man in a suit.

She laughed, rolling her eyes, as she turned back to her new friend. "Well, leather jacket man," she purred with a wink, plucking the bottle from his hand again. "I s'pose I'll just have to take my chances."

"Lick it," Nadine said, with a curt nod, her tongue snaking out against the side of her hand.

"Sounds dirty, girl!" Kelly cried, slapping the bar, as she slid a shot glass her way.

"Slam it," the blonde slurred, lifting her glass in the air. "And I think my personal favorite-"

"Suck it!" Emily shouted, pumping her fist in the air. "I think that's my favorite too."

"Now ladies, I hope you're talking about shots," Coleman muttered, giving them a devious grin.

"I know I am," Kelly replied, placing a hand innocently on her chest. "Heaven knows I can't suck anything for a while."

"And don't you dare reply, Coleman!" Elizabeth shouted, holding her hand up at him, as she came up behind her friends.

"Slut!" Emily said, leaning over and smacking her best friend in the back of the head.

"I am nothing of the sort," she replied, rubbing her palm over the place where she'd just been hit.

"Oh, right," Nadine muttered, shaking a finger at her. "Like you and Leather Jacket Man were just back there playing balls."

"Balls," Kelly murmured, holding a hand to her face. "I swear, you ladies make everything an innuendo."

"And you didn't tell me about the Prince!" Nadine sighed, as if the idea of it all was very romantic.

"Speaking of that Prince," the brunette griped, sliding onto a stool beside her best friend. "He really pisses me off."

She leaned over, jerking the bottle of tequila away from Emily, bringing the bottle straight to her lips. "That son of a bitch," she hissed, slamming the bottle down on the bar, as she glanced over her shoulder to where Leather Jacket Man was now playing pool with his friend that had so rudely interrupted their game.

"Told you she wasn't over it," Kelly said, dancing in her seat, as if it was something to be happy about.

"No, I'm over it," she replied, narrowing her eyes in the direction of a particular blue eyed man. "Especially considering he's been keeping tabs on me."

"What?" Emily asked, slowly pulling the bottle of tequila away from her.

"Oh yes, Mr. Leather Jacket Man over there told me he was asking about me after New Year's," she replied, holding up a shot glass for Emily to fill. She tossed it back without so much as a giving a thought to the protocol. "Mr. Cassidine wants something to keep tabs on, I'll give him something."

"You are so not over it," Kelly muttered, clucking her tongue.

Elizabeth arched an eyebrow at her friend, as if challenging her statement. "Honey, I'm so over it that tonight, I'm going to burn this bar to the ground."

"I am a grown woman for God's sakes," Elizabeth cried, slamming her empty shot glass down on the bar. "I can damn well do what I want, when I want, and that damn Prince Cassidine can't say a fucking thing about it."

"Oh, now she's really mad," Kelly muttered, nudging the tiny blonde so hard, she nearly knocked her off her stool. "Elizabeth Webber never curses."

"Unless she's upset," Emily chimed in, placing a hand on her friends shoulder. "And she is definitely upset tonight."

"No, I'm pissed," she said, glaring at her friends. "This is exactly why I refused to marry the damn fool. We aren't even together and he's still not taking no for an answer."

"He's a Prince," Kelly reminded her, a heavy frown on her face. "Princes get what they want."

"Well, I was going to be a Princess," Elizabeth pointed out, throwing her hand up in the air. "What about what I wanted?"

"Oh, God. Now she's going Diva on us," Emily teased, pouring another round of shots that no one touched.

They were all far too sloshed to bother with even one more shot.

"I'm just sayin'," she snapped defensively. "I mean, he gets-well, he got what he wanted when he wanted it. What about what I want?"

"And what do you want, Elizabeth Webber?" Nadine asked, placing a hand on her hip. "Cause we're damn well going to make sure you get it."

Kelly nodded in agreement. "She was close to being a Princess after all."

"I think Lizzie wants Leather Jacket Man," Emily muttered under her breath. "But something tells me he's not having it."

"Oh, no, because he thinks I'm trying to use him to make Nikolas jealous," growled the brunette, as she teetered back and forth on her stool. "If I wanted to make Prince Stupid jealous, I'd do a hell of a lot more than kiss Leather Jacket Man."

"Did you tell him you were almost a Princess?" Kelly asked curiously, as if that made all the difference. "I mean, who wants to pass up a chance to bang a Princess?"

"Exactly," Elizabeth said, smacking the bar. "I'm like…"

"Really hot," offered her best friend, but the brunette just shook her head. "Really fucking hot?"

"Totally doable?" tossed out the sex addict, and still the brunette wasn't pleased.

"The kind of woman that has every man in the bar fantasizing," the once timid blonde spoke up, and Elizabeth just shook her head.

"No, it's more like…You know when you have something you want?" she asked slowly, the drunken wheels slowly turning in her head. "Like you have a piece of pie? And then you add the ice cream?"

"You're the ice cream!" Kelly exclaimed clapping her hands. "And please tell me, the Prince is eating it off of you because that is one hot-"

"No, he's not eating anything off of me-"

"Cause you want the Leather Jacket to eat it off you," Emily interrupted, giving her friend a knowing look that caused her to scowl.

"Well, kind of, maybe," Elizabeth said, holding up a finger. "But that's not what I mean. I'm like-"

"A really good side dish," Kelly cut in, staring at her while she pondered the possibility. "The surprise recipe that everyone should worship."

"The secret spice!" Nadine exclaimed, her eyes lighting up, any chance of remaining the modest friend long gone. "Sounds dirty."

"Or even better, a really good entrée," Emily supplied, taking off with the food analogies like the rest of her friends.

"Yeah, who needs the potato when you've already got the steak," Kelly said, poking Elizabeth in the arm.

"Or fries when you've got a big, juicy burger," Nadine joined in, and Elizabeth wasn't even sure if there was a point to what she was trying to say anymore.

"But sometimes that's the best part," Emily pointed out seriously, clutching the bottle of tequila in her lap.

"Or maybe you're the burger, and Leather Jacket is the fries, and you two can have a hella good time eating-"

"Enough with the food guys," Elizabeth cried, managing to get off her barstool without falling. "This just went really…weird."

"Like you wouldn't eat something off Leather Jacket if he asked you too?" Kelly asked, arching an eyebrow at her friend. "Cause Jesus, the Virgin Mary, and Joseph know Dr. Lee wouldn't mind using him as a buffet-"

"He doesn't want me to use him as a buffet!" the brunette shouted, sounding more angry than she meant to.

She was starting to wonder who she was more upset with; Leather Jacket or her former fiancé. There was also Leather Jacket's friend who had so rudely stepped into their game of pool, muttering something about work first, and Leather Jacket getting laid second.

Of course, then she'd been forced to remind Leather Jacket he wasn't getting a damn thing from her, after which she stomped away with what little pride she still had left.

"Wait," Elizabeth muttered suddenly, leaning against the bar. "Am I the main entrée or a side dish? And which is better?"

"Robin and Lainey are going to be really sorry that they missed this," Emily sighed, laughing hysterically as she did her best to stand up straight.

"Are you sure we shouldn't stop her?" Kelly asked seriously, frowning at the sight that was taking place in front of them.

"Of course not," Nadine said, nudging her newfound friend. "If anything, you should take pictures for your friends that aren't here."

"Is this where she's gonna burn the bar down?" Emily asked curiously, watching Elizabeth slowly move to a standing position on the pool table she'd crawled onto.

It wasn't just any pool table, but the one being used by Leather Jacket and company.

They didn't have the chance to sort out whether Elizabeth was the steak or the fries, before Leather Jacket's bizarre little friend appeared at their side, asking the ladies to buy a beer for his friend on his birthday. Not that his friend, who so dotingly referred to as Stone Cold, needed a woman to buy him a beer. He just figured it would be a nice gesture seeing as Stone Cold didn't do so well with the lady types.

Imagine Elizabeth Webber's surprise when she learned that Stone Cold was also Leather Jacket, and that he could have had him a fine lady type, had he not been so busy turning her away.

"Well, well, well," Elizabeth mused, holding one arm out to the side, the other wrapped around the light that was suspended from the ceiling. "A little birdie told me it was someone's birthday."

Her friends were sure she was going to hit the floor at any second, taking the light, and half the pool table with her.

Leather Jacket sighed heavily, scratching a hand over his forehead, as he stared uncomfortably at Elizabeth who was parading herself up and down the pool table.

"Don't worry, honey. I'm not gonna go all Marilyn on you," she said, winking at him. "Unless you like that sort of thing."

"Oh, I couldn't have dreamed this up on my best night," Kelly muttered, laughing against Emily's shoulder.

"What would Prince Cassidine think of her now?" Nadine asked, loud enough for Elizabeth to hear her words.

"Too bad I'm sooooo over it!" Elizabeth sang out, waving a hand at her friends, as she shook her ass and spun around in a circle.

Leather Jacket's creepy friend who had approached them at the bar, stared at her with wide eyes, as if he'd never seen a woman before. His other friend, a well dressed man in a suit, hooped and hollered until Leather Jacket leaned over and punched him in the arm.

"Too bad you won't let me wish you a happy birthday!" she shouted, leaning over and pointing at Leather Jacket, looking rather pleased with herself when a slow smile crept across the man's face. "Oh, he has emotions, ladies!"

"Okay, I'm calling dibs on the one in the suit," Kelly muttered, rolling her eyes, as Elizabeth continued to dance around in a circle to the Bon Jovi song that boomed over the jukebox.

"You're in rehab," Emily reminded her, as she eyed the creepy friend suspiciously.

"Fine, you screw him, but tell me all about it," she replied, bumping her with her shoulder. She turned to Nadine, making a sad face. "Looks like you're stuck with the weirdo…Or Coleman."

The blonde eyed the kid in the mismatched clothes and skullcap. "He looks kind of sweet."

"Yeah, in that where is my penis and what do I do with it kind of way," Kelly murmured, a spark suddenly going off in her head. "Which means you can teach him everything he needs to know…Nurse Crowell, you just may be as dirty as the rest of us!"

"So, birthday boy!" Elizabeth shouted, rocking her hips from side to side, a loopy grin on her face. "One question for ya!"

"What's that?" his friend in the suit called out, his eyes roaming up and down the brunettes body.

"Well, he's definitely interested in taking her home," Kelly said, almost sounding sad about it.

"At least someone will end up with him," Emily joked, throwing her arm over her friends shoulder.

"Yeah, but Lizzie won't share details like you will," she whined, causing her to laugh.

Elizabeth stumbled towards the edge of the table, her heel catching on the felt, and her knees gave out causing her body to tumble forward. Everyone surrounding the pool table winced and gasped, imagining the horrors that would come when her head slammed against the bar floor.

Thankfully, Leather Jacket Man was up before anyone could process just what was going on, his arms wrapping around the tiny brunette as he carefully lowered her to the floor.

"I am drunk," she said, throwing back her head as she laughed. "And you don't like me."

"Give me my five bucks," the suit hissed, nudging the creepy friend. "I told you she was gonna fall."

He pulled at his hat, then reluctantly slipped a wad of money from his pocket. "You're a cheat, Junior. A dirty cheat."

"I didn't make her fall, nerd," he replied, grinning as he wrapped his hand around the five bucks.

"What do you think you're doing?" Emily cried, stepping forward, her hands on her hips. "You can't take bets on my drunk friend."

"Like hell I can't," he replied, giving her a once over, that normally would have made a woman like Emily Quartermaine blush.

"As her friends, we expect compensation," spoke up Nadine, reaching around Emily, to snatch the five bucks from the suit's hands.

"And what do you think you're doing sweetheart?" he growled, staring at his empty hand.

"Letting you buy us a drink," Kelly answered, giving him a wink. "But we're gonna need another five to go along with this one."

The corner of his mouth twitched, and the ladies knew they had him. "What are you drinking?" he asked, sweeping his eyes over the three of them. "Not that you need anymore of it."

"You don't get to tell us when to stop," Nadine said, narrowing her eyes at him.

"Baby, I wouldn't dream of it," he replied, stepping forward, and grazing her cheek with one of his fingers. "If anything, I'm going to do my damnedest to out drink you all."

"Oh, a man after our own hearts!" Kelly exclaimed, shooting Nadine a look to remind the blonde just who the suit belonged to.

"Johnny O'Brien at your service," he said, extending a hand, and giving her a flirtatious smile. "A connoisseur of all women."

"Kelly Lee, OBGYN," she replied, shaking his head, taking note of his very firm grip. "This is Emily Quartermaine. She's still trying to figure out her specialty. And lovely nurse Nadine, who may have a soft spot for your nerdy friend."

"Spinelli?" he asked, arching an eyebrow at them. "Yeah, he's, uh, special."

"And that's Elizabeth," Kelly continued the introductions, pointing at their friend, who had her arm slipped around Leather Jacket's neck and was whispering something she hoped was very dirty in his ear. "She's just very, very drunk."

"Really?" O'Brien asked, motioning them towards the bar. "I was hoping she danced on pool tables and shook her ass on a daily basis."

"Leather Jacket like that kind of woman?" Emily asked curiously, falling into step with her friends.

"Nah, Jason's a love 'em and leave 'em kind of man," he replied, tossing a hundred down on the bar, and calling out for Coleman to take care of his women.

"Jason?" Kelly asked, nodding as she repeated the name to herself. "So Leather Jacket has a name."

He cracked a smile, handing out shots to the girls. "Most people do, sweetheart."

"You don't look very happy considering it's your birthday," Elizabeth muttered, managing to slide onto the pool table and scoot back to where her legs where swinging over the side.

"Never really understood the point of them," he replied, shrugging as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"Am I annoying you?" she asked, tilting her head to the side and staring up at him. "Cause you act like there's something else you'd rather be doing."

"No, it's O'Brien," he replied, taking a sip of his beer, and watching their friends doing shots at the bar. "Can't really trust him with women."

"They can take care of themselves," she said, reaching out and pulling his beer from his hand.

"Just like you can?" he asked, doing his best not to let his gaze linger on the way her lips wrapped around the mouth of the bottle.

"I am-" she said dramatically, placing a hand flat against her chest. "Burning this bar down tonight."

"Is that what that was?" he asked, smiling faintly.

"Until I stumbled," she replied, setting the beer bottle down beside her, then leaning back on her palms. "Stupid heels. Never could walk in them."

"Well, it's good you're not gonna be a princess then," he pointed out, placing his own hands on either side of her legs and leaning over her.

"I mentioned that, huh?" she asked, tossing her hair over her shoulder.

"A little birdie told me," he teased, slowly reaching for the beer bottle, but she caught him and pulled it away before he could take it.

"You don't work for this birdie do you?" she asked, reluctantly bringing up the topic of her ex-fiancé.

He shook his head.

"Not a fan of the Prince?" she asked, arching an eyebrow.

"Would that work as some sort of revenge tactic?" he asked bluntly, to which her mouth dropped open.

"I'm merely trying to burn a bar down," she replied, rolling her eyes. "And trying to make sure that the burning isn't reported on."

He nodded slowly, clearly uncomfortable with the topic of Nikolas Cassidine. "So, uh, I have to ask," he murmured, narrowing his eyes at hers. "What was the question you wanted to ask me before your fall from grace?"

"Oh, that," she said, chewing her lip, as she pulled herself to a sitting position. She reached out and ran a finger across his chest. "It's fairly simple."

"Kay," he muttered, following her hand as it made his way around his neck, her fingers settling gently at the nape.

"You had your birthday kiss yet?" she asked, raising an eyebrow, a playful grin on her plump lips.

He laughed softly to himself, sliding his palms against the edge of the table, so that his thumbs were grazing her thighs. "I wasn't aware that those came with birthdays," he whispered, tilting his head forward, so that his lips were almost touching hers.

"How old are you?" she asked softly, running her thumb over his bottom lip. "Cause something tells me we've got a lot of time to make up for."

"Then I suppose we better start catching up," he replied, cupping her cheek with rough palm, and slowly drawing her lips to his.

Just as he was about to take her lips in his, Elizabeth gasped, the room suddenly tilting on it's side. Before she knew what was happening, she'd pushed him away and her head was between her legs. The last thing she remembered was the rush of tequila coming up the way it'd gone down, only to find a place on his dirty motorcycle boots.


	3. Chapter 3

**Prompt: Ignorance is bliss.**

**February**

_Upstairs at Jake's, Approximately 5:30 A.M._

Elizabeth slipped out of Room 2 above the bar, gently pulling the door closed behind her. She paused long enough to rest her head against the frame, and rub a hand over her face. It had been a long night, and unfortunately, she had a shift in an hour. She jumped away from the door when she heard movement on the other side and knew it was probably best to disappear before she was caught. Or rather stopped by the person inside the room.

Last night had most definitely gotten out of hand.

"Shit," she muttered, when the old, wooden floors creaked beneath her light footsteps. She neared the staircase, glancing over her shoulder one last time to make sure she had a clean exit. Sighing with relief, she set one foot on the top stair, only to freeze when the sound of a door opening behind her filled the hallway.

"Elizabeth Webber," came a soft, but scolding hiss, followed by a muffled giggle.

Letting out a deep breath, she spun around to find Kelly standing in front of her. "What are you doing here?" she cried in a  
whisper, careful not to disturb who she was trying to leave behind. The last thing she needed was some kind awkward confrontation amidst a hangover.

"Oh, I think I asked you that first," Kelly teased, wincing as she closed the door to Room 4 behind her.

"Did you sleep-"

"Son of a bitch," came a heavy, hungover growl as the door to Room 1 opened.

Both women's heads snapped in the direction, raising their eyebrows simultaneously at Lainey. "Well, well, well," Kelly murmured, clasping her hands and twiddling her thumbs. "Looks like there are some naughty girls among me."

"Me?" Lainey cried, placing a hand on her chest, turning around to close the door. "You're the one who's a recovering sex addict. You're not supposed to be having sex."

"Who said I got any?" the OB asked, a playful smirk spreading across her lips. "Besides, you aren't supposed to be sleeping-"

"What the hell?" came a fourth voice from the far end of the hallway.

"Oh my God," Elizabeth whined, hanging her head when she saw Robin slipping out of Room 6. "What the hell do they put in that tequila?"

"What are you all doing here?" Dr. Scorpio spat, racing towards them on her tiptoes.

"Oh, I'm still waiting for Webber here to answer that question," Kelly replied, tilting her head in the brunette's direction.

Elizabeth frowned, tugging at the hem of her rumpled camisole. "I asked you first," she replied hastily, tossing her messy, bed head curls over her shoulder. "You're not supposed to be here!"

"And neither are you!" Lainey chimed in.

"Actually, none of you were supposed to-"

"Oh, what the fuck."

All four heads turned to the door of Room 3, their jaws slacking when the most innocent of them all, with her big blue eyes and obviously not slept in clothes, stepped into the hallway.

"Well, I'd say this one got worn in just right," Kelly joked, rocking back and forth excitedly on her feet.

Nadine grimaced, glancing back into the room, before finally pulling it closed. She leaned against the door, clenching her eyes shut. "I am not a whore," she said sadly. "I really am not-"

"Oh, honey, we've all done it," Lainey cut in, motioning around at the five of them standing in the hallway.

"That's awfully presumptuous for you to assume that we all had sex," Robin said pointedly, her hands on her hips as she glared at the psychiatrist.

"Okay, so maybe you didn't," she replied, rolling her eyes. "What? Because you're afraid of doing something casual and risky. I'm telling you a session or two could-"

"Stop psycho-analyzing me," she pratically shouted, causing all the other women to hiss at her to lower her voice.

"I'm trying to sneak away quietly," Elizabeth scowled, holding a hand over her forehead, and rubbing her temples soothingly.

"As am I," the others replied robotically, and they would have laughed had the sound of footsteps on the stairs not caught their attention.

Elizabeth was the closest, so she was the first to see the rush of straight, brown hair hurrying down the steps as quickly as it came up them. "Hold it right there, Emily Quartermaine!" she cried, doing her best to keep her voice hushed.

The other four girls raced to the landing, all doing their best to squish around Elizabeth and get a look at their fellow friend being caught in the act. Emily shook her head, lifting her hand, and then her middle finger at the girls.

Kelly let out a devious giggle, throwing Emily a wink. "Well," she murmured, nudging Lainey and Elizabeth who were on either side of her. "I suppose last night was one for the books."

_Six hours earlier..._

"There is no way in hell I am answering that question," Lainey said firmly, taking a long sip of her beer, as Kelly clucked her tongue in response.

"You have to," Robin said firmly, sliding everyone's shotglasses across the table towards Emily, who was clutching a bottle tequila tightly to her side.

"I don't understand the point of these mindless questions," her friend replied seriously, lowering her beer back to the table. "If you want to get inside someone's head, you have-"

"No one is trying to get into anyone's head," Elizabeth sighed, reaching for her shotglass after Emily refilled it. "It's a simple question, Lainey. When was the last time you got laid?"

"How is this appropriate?" she replied challengingly.

"Uh, it's Valentine's Day," Emily said, as if that made all the difference.

"Which means what exactly?" the usually quiet blonde finally chimed in. "It's just a day created by the greeting card industry. They try to convince you that you should have flowers, cards, and candy, when what really matters is if someone loves you and is there for you. And in turn, all of that only reminds us all how lonely we really are."

"Well, on that note," Elizabeth groaned, raising her glass into the air. "To being lonely."

"Now, come on," Nadine said, looking apologetic for her less than positive remarks. "None of us are lonely. We have each other."

"Dear God," Robin griped, following Elizabeth and holding her hand in the air. "Why do I suddenly feel like we're having a moment out of _The Babysitter's Club_ or something?"

"Oh, I loved those books," Nadine replied, her bright blue eyes lighting up.

"You would," they all replied together, before breaking out into a fit of laughter.

"I'd rather be like Thelma and Louise," Elizabeth said with a shrug, breaking the tequila trinity, and throwing her shot straight back.

"You're out to kill a man?" Lainey asked, arching an eyebrow at her.

"She's still not over it," Emily teased, taking her shot, and lowering the glass back to the table to refill it.

Elizabeth scowled, glaring at her best friend.

"Or maybe she's still not over throwing up on Leather Jacket's shoes," Robin tossed out, muffling her laughter with her hand.

"Jason," Nadine corrected seriously. "Leather Jacket now has a name."

"I prefer Leather Jacket," Kelly said staring off intently, a grin on her face. "Just like I'd prefer to know what's under that-"

"Six weeks," Elizabeth shouted, holding her hands up, her face twisted into a painful frown.

"Six weeks?" Lainey echoed, still holding her full shot glass in her hand.

"Oh, six weeks," Emily murmured, looking away as her friends all turned to her in confusion.

"No way!" Kelly cried after a few seconds, practically jumping from her seat with excitement. "You had sex-Oh my God!" She held a hand over her mouth. "With Nikolas?"

Elizabeth's shoulders fell, and she slumped over the table, nodding slowly.

"You little slut!" Robin cried, flinging a bar nut at her friend.

"Honey, you shouldn't be sleeping with him," Lainey said, in the gentle, but serious voice she often used on patients. "That's extremely unhealthy and-"

"So is sleeping with your patients," Elizabeth pointed out, causing all the girls to gasp.

"Burn!" shouted Kelly, reaching around and taking Lainey's shot of tequila from her. "If you won't take it, I will."

"Leo and I had one session," she said, rolling her eyes as Kelly sucked the liquor down. "One single session-"

"That ended with you half shirtless on your desk," Robin reminded her, shrugging when her friend gave her a dirty look. "Don't give me that...I was the one that walked in on it."

"And I was the one who heard Robin's shriek and came running," Nadine continued, shaking her head, as she slammed, licked, and sucked in the appropriate order. "Not even the finest tequila in the world will make me forget-"

"We haven't slept together," Lainey snapped, correcting them all, as she pointed a slender finger in Elizabeth's direction. "And this is about how she slept with the Prince post breakup, remember?"

"Ass," Elizabeth muttered, when the attention suddenly shifted to her. She stared at her friends with a blank face, then realized they weren't going to give in. "Fine, I slept with him...I went over there to pick up the rest of my things, and he started talking about how good we were together."

"And?" Robin asked, urging her to continue.

"We slept together."

"Where? When? And in what position?" Kelly asked excitedly, ticking each question off on her fingers. "I'm the one not getting any, and we all know that the Prince was more than giving."

Elizabeth shook her head, but Kelly failed to relent. "Of course, we were arguing, so I started to leave, and we ended up.." She paused, rubbing a hand uncomfortably over her chest. "Um, in the hallway, right by the front door."

"Angry sex!" Kelly shouted, clapping her hands together. "You win!"

"Oh, that's so not fair!" Emily replied defensively.

"Well, you haven't been penning time for sex in that little spiral notebook you've got in your pocket...Or have you?" Kelly said, leaning over and pulling the memo book from the back of her jeans. She jumped up, flipping it open, and started to read before Emily could stop her. "Interesting...Lunch with Patrick at noon...Studying for intern exams with Patrick from 3-5...Oh, and of course, dinner with Patrick at six."

"So, you are getting some?" Elizabeth asked suprised.

"Maybe a little," the intern replied, her cheeks turning bright red.  
"You've at least coped a feel, right?" Kelly asked, tossing her memo pad down in front of her, and sitting back down. "I've always wondered how big Patrick Drake really is."

"Maybe you could ask him yourself," came a husky voice behind the OB, and she turned around to find Dr. Drake standing there in all his glory.

"Well, Dr. Drake, just how big-"

"This conversation is not happening," Emily cried, jumping up from the table and hurrying towards the bar.  
"You're evil, you know that," Patrick replied, tossing Kelly a wink, before following after her.

"Did you know?" Kelly hissed, turning towards Elizabeth.

The brunette shook her head, laughing softly to herself. "I feel so left out."

"Don't talk about left out," Robin teased, suddenly scoffing in the direction of the door.

"Son of a bitch," Elizabeth murmured, looking over to see Jason walk in. His eyes met her's immediately, and his lips gave her a faint, secretive smile, but she couldn't concentrate on him. Her ex-fiance stole all her attention when he followed behind Jason seconds later.

"Oh, there's Johnny," Kelly sighed, her eyes softening in his direction. "That man is fine."

"And quite polite," Nadine said, and they all looked at her as if that mattered. "What? A man who takes the time to ask your name and buy your drink-"

"Is probably just trying to get you in bed," Robin interrupted, taking one of the shots and tossing it back.

"Your nerd's here too," Kelly exclaimed, nudging the blonde with her elbow.

"Oh, so Nadine does have a man," Lainey teased, smiling fondly at the nurse. "And he's probably the most normal-"

"Are you kidding me?" Robin cut in with a laugh. "He showed up looking for Nadine at the hospital last week, and when I told him I couldn't find her, he started ranting about how he was taking PI classes online. Then the next thing I know he's hiding behind one of those big, ugly, fake plants in the sitting area, and he jumps out-"

"Be nice," Nadine said, her face growing flushed as she waved briefly at the boy across the bar. "He's a really nice guy...Different, but nice...And he has a big heart."

"And he sends giftbaskets of orange soda and barbecue chips," Robin reminded her, as she looked at Lainey and Elizabeth in disbelief. "Where exactly does a person get something like that?"

"He made it," she replied, almost sounding annoyed that they were making fun of him. "If you took the time to talk to him, you'd see what he's really like...He may not be the best dresser or the wittiest guy in the bar, but I promise he's the one you'd be lucky to go home with." Before anyone reply, he got up from the table, and hurried over to where Spinelli was sitting with Johnny.

"Oh, young love," Kelly sighed, resting her chin in her hand, and watching as Nadine pulled up a chair beside Spinelli.

"Do you think he would even know what to do with it?" Robin asked, causing the girls to burst into laughter.

"Something tells me he would just Google it," Lainey replied, suddenly tensing up.

The girls followed her gaze, whistling loudly at Leo, who had just walked into the bar.

"Assholes."

"Aw, you love us," Elizabeth said, smacking her playfully on the arm, as she looked up at the bar. Her eyes landed first on Nikolas, who raised his short glass of scotch at her, as if to say hello. She forced a smile, then shifted her eyes down to the other end of the bar, to find Jason sitting alone on a stool, his gaze resting solely on her.

"I need another," she muttered, reaching for the bottle of tequila. "Something tells me, it's going to be one hell of a night."

"I didn't think I was ever going to get your attention," Kelly muttered to her friends, as they watched Elizabeth intently, who was stationed at a stool that sat directly in the center of the bar.

"At least she chose equal distance," Robin slurred, linking her arm through Lainey's, and laughing loudly.

"Who do you think will approach her first?" Emily asked curiously, shooting a glare at Kelly when she started to reply. She was obviously not over her friend's antics from earlier that evening.

"My bet is the Prince," Nadine chimed in, crossing her arms over her chest.

"The Prince?" Robin spat in disbelief, shaking her head at the innocent blonde. "You obviously know nothing about Nikolas Cassidine. He's not a man that goes after what he wants."

"Nope," Kelly agreed. "What he wants comes to him simply because that's the natural order of things."

Nadine rolled her eyes, and pointed at the two men, who were either oblivious to the women's attention or doing their best to ignore it. "Nikolas has been watching her for the past twenty minutes," she said seriously. "Elizabeth has been watching Jason, who is doing his best to pretend he's not watching her, but he's enjoying every second of it."

"Which is good considering last time she upchucked on his shoes," Kelly chimed in with a grimace.

"Exactly," the blonde muttered, tossing her head in Nikolas's direction. "Needless to say the Prince is far from happy with this shift in attention. He's growing more and more flustered by the second, and eventually he's going to walk over to her, and do what men do best."

"What's that?" Emily asked curiously.

"Make an ass out of themselves," Kelly replied, with a gleam in her eye, that told them all she was enjoying this far too much.

"The Prince will wander up to her, commenting first on how she's ignoring him," Nadine continued, chewing her lip as she imagined it all playing out. "That will make her mad."

"Of course," the four women said simultaneously.

"Which means Nikolas will then be an even bigger jerk," Robin said, slowly figuring out where the nurse was going with this.

"And Leather Jacket will step in to save the day," Lainey shrieked, clapping her hands excitedly.  
"I was going to say you're pretty insightful," Lainey snickered, "but I think it's just those Babysitter's Club books you read growing up."

"Oh, that's just mean-" Nadine started to say, then stopped when Kelly started to smack her hard on the shoulder.

The five women watched silently as Nikolas adjusted his tie, sighed heavily, and slowly made his way towards Elizabeth.  
"See!" the blonde said, smacking Kelly back.

"Uh, oh," the OB replied, when Elizabeth rolled her eyes as the Prince leaned in and whispered in her ear.

"Five bucks says she knees him in the crotch," Robin snorted, pulling a few dollar bills from her pocket.

"Ten says she throws her shot in his face," Emily chimed in, waving a ten dollar bill in her hand.

"Oh, that's a waste of good tequila!" Kelly hissed, digging a hand into her pocket, and pulling out a twenty. "Let's hope the girl remembers Jose is a good friend of ours."

"Your wager?" Robin asked, gathering their money together, each woman far too drunk to realize none of their amounts matched.

Kelly grunted, a grin spreading across her face. "That she takes the shot, starts to hit him, but Leather Jacket steps in first."

Elizabeth sighed, rubbing her forehead against her palm, as she noticed her friends stationing themselves leisurely along the bar. They looked at her with knowing eyes, and she couldn't decide if she was more annoyed at them, or at the ex-fiance pressed against her side.

"I don't understand why you're being so short with me," Nikolas muttered, sipping his scotch and looking around the bar.

"I don't understand why you're here," she replied, running a fingertip over the top of the shot she had just ordered.

"I thought things were on the ups," he said seriously, placing on a hand on her bare shoulder.

She tensed under his touch, trying to fight the urge to glance down the bar at Jason, but it was nearly impossible. "Ups?" she asked, clearing her throat when her eyes locked with Jason's who were narrowed at Nikolas's hand.

"When you came to Wyndemere," he said, moving his hand to brush her hair away from her shoulder, and placing his hand over the back of her neck.

She shivered beneath his warm palm, swallowing hard when she saw Jason stand up from his barstool. "We slept together, Nikolas," she replied, tipping her head in his direction and looking at him with glazed eyes.

She caught Kelly's eye over Nikolas' shoulder and wasn't at all surprised that her friends were treating this like some kind of movie, when in reality it was breaking her heart. "After which, you suggested we continue to see each other on a friendly basis until I was willing to commit. I suppose that's on the ups if you're an asshole."

"I can't talk to you when you're like this," he said, pulling his hand away from her as if she had burned him.

Arching an eyebrow at him, she leaned over, placing a hand on his chest. "Then get the hell away."

"You're wasted," he replied, placing his hand over hers, and holding it against him.

"Happy Valentine's Day," she said with a smirk, using her free hand to take her shot, slamming the glass down hard against the counter.

"Let me take you home," he murmured, cupping her cheek with his other hand.

"I can get home fine on my own," she replied, attempting to push him away, only to slide off her stool and into his arms.

He tightened his hold on her waist immediately, holding her body tightly against his. "Is this about that guy down there?" he asked, narrowing his eyes at her. "The one you've been parading around in front of for the past couple of months?"

Her mouth fell open, and she glared at him. "What I do, and who I do it with is none of your business anymore."

"That's right, honey," he replied, swiping a thumb over her cheek. "I know all about your little antics...I suppose it's a good thing you and I didn't work out...Tramps don't make good princesses."

"You son of a bitch!" she cried, doing her best to hit him in the face, but he caught her wrist in his hand, enticing a struggle.  
When she tried to push away again, he released her suddenly, causing her to fall back against the bar. Her elbow collided with several drinks, and she found herself covered in alcohol. "Don't you ever speak to me again, Nikolas, or so help me God-"

"What will you do exactly?" he snarled, stepping towards her. "You're going to find yourself begging on your hands and knees for me to take you back, and-

"She won't be doing that," came a firm, husky voice, and Elizabeth was sure she heard a squeal from Kelly somewhere in the bar.

"And they say chivalry is dead," Nikolas said sarcastically, raising his eyebrows at Jason, who had placed himself firmly between Elizabeth and the Prince.

"She asked you to leave her alone," he replied, folding his arms across his chest.

"I don't see how any of this concerns you," he muttered, rolling his eyes.

"What happens in my bar is my concern," Jason stated clearly, causing Elizabeth's eyes to widen.

"Really? Your bar?" the Prince mused, laughing to himself. "Well, in case you haven't realized it, this place is a dump...And most of the patrons come here to pick up the local whores."

"I know as well as you do, that Elizabeth doesn't fit into that category," he replied, clenching his jaw.

Nikolas grunted, rolling his eyes. "Is this how you want it to be?" he asked, peering around Jason's wide stance at his former fiance. "You're replacing me with this guy? The owner of some shitty-"

"Nikolas, please," she sighed, shaking her head at him, and wringing her hands. "Just go...This is not the time or place."

"So, you are seeing this guy?" he asked in disbelief.

"We know each other," she muttered, shrugging it off as if it were nothing, but to Nikolas it would mean everything.

He smirked and threw up his hands. "I digress to my former statement," he replied, glancing between her and Jason. "Tramps really don't make-"

"Get. Out. Now," Jason said firmly, placing a hand on his shoulder, and shoving him to the door.

"Fuck-"

"Hey," another male voice called out, shuffling his way towards the two men. He tapped Nikolas on the shoulder, and tossed his head towards the door when the Prince turned around to face him. "Johnny O'Brien doesn't like it when people mess with his women."

"And she's one of your women?"

"Damn straight she is," Kelly called out, stepping beside Johnny and looping her arm through his.  
"O'Brien's got a soft spot for chicks in the medical field," Emily chimed in, resting her arm on O'Brien's shoulder.

The Prince scoffed, rolling his eyes. "Goodness, Elizabeth. You found one hell of a trough to roll around in."

"Oh, go get your suit dirty somewhere else," Lainey cried, flinging a handful of barnuts at Nikolas.

"I'm on the hospital board. I could get you-"

"Fired for sexual harrassment?" O'Brien chimed in, nodding at Elizabeth. "Or wait, that's Ms. Webber come tomorrow morning...Jason and I know a hell of a lawyer." He looked around Jason at Elizabeth, who was doing her best to be amused, and not dying of embarassment by this whole show. "You wanna be the Cassidine heir?"

"Family has terrible luck," Robin called out, grimacing.

"Oh, luck is what you make of it," Nadine muttered, stepping up beside Elizabeth, and giving her a faint smile.

"Think about the cash," Lainey threw out.

"But accidents happen to people in the Cassidine family," Emily pointed out, shaking her head.

"Well, maybe I can make an accident happen to you," Johnny said, poking the Prince in the shoulder.

"Assholes," Nikolas muttered, glaring at Elizabeth. "If this is how you want it to be, then that's fine by me, but you'll regret this."

"What's there to regret?" Kelly cried, before she could reply. "She's the one with the half a million dollar ring."

"Half a million dollars?" Johnny spat, his eyes widening.

"Though I think she'd rather have the tiara," Nadine teased, nudging Elizabeth with her elbow, and causing her to laugh.

"Can she do an exchange?" Emily asked seriously.

"If she wants one, he'll give her one," O'Brien murmured, eyeing the Prince spitefully.

"Oh, go to hell, the whole lot of you," Nikolas growled, throwing one last disgusted look at his former fiance. "Especially you. I can't believe I wasted years-"

"It's time for you to go," Jason growled, grabbing him the arm, having clearly lost his patience.

"I'm going," he said, jerking away from his grasp.

"Aw, is the court jester bowing out?" Spinelli called out, from where he was sitting at the bar several stools down from Elizabeth, sipping a Cosmo.

"Okay guys, that's enough," Elizabeth called out, cradling her head in her hands, as her friends laughed at what had just occurred. Her stomach was churning, a mixture of embarrassment and anxiety.

"Hey, we're just looking out for our girl," Kelly said, hurrying over and throwing her arms around her friend's neck. "Not even Princes fuck with my Webber."

"Yeah," Robin agreed.

"He's going to get us all fired," Nadine clucked, shaking her head.

"Then we'll...just draw unemployment," Lainey offered seriously.

"Hey, that's more time at the bar," Emily said with a shrug, causing Elizabeth to laugh.

"Okay, not to be rude," Kelly griped, backing away from her friend, "but you smell like you bathed with Jim Bean."

"Sounds hot," Emily teased, winking at her friend, as Patrick came up behind her.

"Now that's hot," the OB corrected, winking at her, and Emily just laughed, allowing him to pull her away from the rest of the girls.

Elizabeth sighed, doing her best to wipe her liquor soaked arm dry on her flimsy camisole, not realizing that her friends slowly left her one by one. When she looked up, only Jason was standing there.

"Your bar?" she asked wryly, something about the admission making her nervous.

He nodded, and she folded her arms, staring up at him crossly. "What?"

"Oh nothing," she muttered, shrugging as a coy smile spread across his lips. "I'm just wondering why I've never gotten a free drink."

_Four hours earlier..._

"Patrick, everyone is going to notice that I'm-" Emily started, only to be cut off when he backed her against the door, and leaned down to place his lips over hers.

She sighed against his mouth, allowing him to part her lips easily, while he slid a hand around her waist to fumble with the lock of Room 5.

"I really have to get back-" But he muffled her words with his mouth, swinging the door open, and shoving her gently inside.

"Your friends are drunk," he muttered against her mouth, kicking the door shut with his foot, before spinning her around to press her against it. He dropped a hand to the hem of her shirt, slowly sliding it beneath the thin material. "Which means they have no idea what we're doing..."  
"Well, they kind of know," she murmured apprehensively, sliding her arms around his neck, as she kissed him chastely.

"Oh, of course," he replied, brushing her hair away from her neck, and lowering his mouth to her skin. "Like us hooking up would get past Kelly?"

"Hooking up," she muttered, closing her eyes, and leaning her head back against the door.

She spent a lot of time wondering if that's all this was with Dr. Drake, the man notorious for sleeping around, but stressing that they should keep their relationship-if you could call it that-relatively quiet. He stressed about the reprecussions for sleeping with an intern, especially one whose father was the Chief of Staff, and Emily had stupidly believed he would want to actually be with her at one point.

"Patrick," she groaned, when the doctor expertly unbuttoned the front of her jeans, removing them before she had the chance to stop him. "This is..."

"What you want," he said teasingly, taking her mouth with his again.

Briefly, she thought of her friends, and what they would do in a situation like this. They were all stronger and more capable of acting on a whim, whereas, she attempted to do as much as possible by the book. Whirlwind romances or sneaky hookups, this sadly being the latter, were not her thing, and she just didn't know how to feel about it all.

She found it hard to debate whether this was love or lust, especially when his hands were touching her in all the right places. Despite her worries, she didn't stop him from undressing her the rest of the way and laying her across the bed.

"Ms. Quartermaine," he muttered, settling himself hurriedly between her thighs. "You just may be the most beautiful woman I've ever seen."

Rolling her eyes, she slid her hands over his bare, broad shoulders, telling herself that for now, that could be just enough.

"You are very, very drunk, Jackal," Nadine laughed, falling down beside him on the bed.

"The Jackal does enjoy partaking in a tasty beverage from time to time," he replied, turning his head in the blonde's direction. "Though he must say that Nurse Nadine is equally as inebriated."  
"Nurse Nadine is very, very inebriated," she corrected, propping her head up on her arm, and scooting closer to him.

"And very, very exquisite," he replied, much to her surprise, and she knew it was the liquor making him so bold.

Maybe it was the alcohol, or maybe it was that she really did like him, but all she could think about was that she wanted him. Something about that made her feel funny, and she knew it was because all the other girls would laugh at the thought.

"You should probably do something about it, Jackal," she said, placing a hand gently on his chest. She slid a finger beneath one of the buttons of his collared shirt, laughing softly when he sucked in a breath, and looked at her with wide eyes.

She arched an eyebrow, sinking a tooth into her lower lip. "Or maybe Nurse Nadine should?" she asked, holding back a laugh when he merely blinked, and gave her a terrified look.

"You do like Nurse Nadine, right?" she asked, carefully undoing the buttons one by one.

He nodded, staring down at her hand. "Uh, should you be doing that?"

"No, I should be doing other things," she half slurred, knowing that under any other circumstance this would be a ridiculous situation.

It wasn't her fault that she liked the way he showed up at the hospital just because something had reminded him of her, or that she really did find the barbecue chip and orange soda combination enjoyable, or most of all, that she liked when he looked at her like she was the only girl in the whole room.

Kelly's whole when was the last time you'd gotten any pry hadn't helped by any means. Needless to say, it had been a very long time. So long that she had dragged the Jackal upstairs, telling him she needed to lie down, when really she just wanted him to.

"Uh, should you really be doing that?" he asked, tensing up when she slid her hand down his chest, to his stomach, and stopped at his belt buckle.

"Do you want me to stop?" she asked, continuing to pull at the buckle, taking his silence as a no.

It was only when she shifted to move over him, placing her lips gently against his, that the Jackal finally spoke up.

"Nurse Nadine?" he asked, placing shaky hands on her shoulder.

"Yes, Jackal?" she asked, propping her elbows up on either side of his head.

"Uh, if I didn't know any better," he muttered timidly, giving her a crooked, but scared smile. "I would think you are trying to seduce me."

"Well," she replied, almost shyly. "You're going to have to wait and see."

"Will you hurry up?" Lainey cried, smacking Leo playfully on his shoulder while he fiddled with the key to Room 1.

"I'm trying," he replied hastily, and she found herself annoyed that she'd chosen a man who couldn't unlock a door.

"If anyone sees us-"

"What are you going to do run away?" he teased, finally pushing the door open. He reached around and grabbed her hand tugging her inside, before she could respond.

"I might have tried," she replied, hurrying to lock the door, while he tried to pull her into his arms. "You know this goes against every vow I ever made as a doctor."

"You were hot for a patient," he murmured, winking at her as he slid his arms around her waist.

"Oh, this is just far too wrong."

"Maybe a little right," he replied with a shrug, gently tugging her sweater off her shoulders.

"No, you're probably just seeing me as the person who can fix your problems," she said, placing her hands over his, and shoving them away from her body. "My goal was to help you deal with this issue of your's."

"I do believe you did," he reminded her, folding his arms across his chest.

"And now you see me as this know it all-"

"Not really."

"And you're going to put off your issues on me, and turn this into some bizarre, sexual-"

"We have to have sex for-"

"If anyone ever found out that I slept with a patient-"

"It was half a session, and we haven't-"

"Half a session because-well, you ended up-"

"I believe it was you who made the first move," he corrected, stepping towards her slowly. "And I believe you were the one totally flirting with me-"

"I was asking about your past relationship history, which was very fitting-"

"Why are you fighting me on this?"

"And you of course, had to go and make some stupid comment about-"

"Lainey," he interrupted, tugging her into his arms, and placing his mouth over hers.

She punched him in the shoulder at first, but he didn't relent, and seconds later she melted into his arms. "This is entirely inappropriate, and-"

"Shut up," he hissed, sliding his hands down her body, and lifting her into his arms.

"Leo-"

"Shut up," he said again, kissing her soundly as he carried her across the room.

She laughed when he lowered her down on the wooden desk in the corner of the room. "I suppose you're shooting for a reinactment of some sorts?" she asked, raising her eyebrows at him.

He nodded, hurrying to unbutton her shirt. "This time with no interruptions."

Robin held her eyes closed tightly, forcing herself to focus on the fact that she couldn't remember the last time she had kissed a man. And in this moment, it felt damn good to be kissed, even if she would regret it tomorrow.

It wasn't like her to get drunk and pick up a guy, or rather allow a guy to pick her up.

She always thought ten steps ahead when it came to relationships, knowing the second she muttered something about having HIV, the guy would head for the door without looking back.

"We have to slow down," she murmured, when his hands slid beneath her shirt, one going straight for her small breast.

She moaned when his hand slid beneath the satiny fabric, her hips thrusting upward immediately. "Really, I told you I can't-"

"And you're not," he cut in, pressing her body into the bed, as his lips brushed across her cheek. "I promise."

That was enough to silence her, and she leaned up to kiss him again, sliding her own hands beneath his shirt. She almost loved a great kiss more than anything else. One that was soft, but rough, and slow, but hurried, and always left her breathless.  
And he was doing just that and then some.

"Robin," he growled against her mouth, when she wiggled her hips against his. "You're killing me here."

She laughed softly, knowing all too well about the annoyance of the situation.

For the longest time, situations like this scared her, or rather, the implications that came along with them. She gave up any chance of throwing caution to the wind a long time ago, not that she would change any of her past, even if it meant she would always have to be very, very cautious.

She moaned when he pressed his hips back against hers, suddenly all too aware of how long it had been since she'd gone to bed with a man. Under normal circumstances, she would have already striped her clothes off, and things would have been well under way. Now all she could think about was how it couldn't go that far.

"Hey," he said suddenly, pulling his body up over hers. She forced a smile at him, slowly feeling herself sober up from all the serious thoughts. "You okay?"

"I just-This wasn't a good idea," she replied, placing her hands on his shoulders, and pushing him away from her.

He sat up easily, giving her no fight, and for that, she respected him far more than she ever imagined she could. "We're not doing anything bad here, Robin."

"Easy for you to say, you're not the one-"

"With HIV," he finished, rolling his eyes.

"You could have picked up any of my friends."

"I like my women smart," he murmured, falling back against the bed, and staring up at the ceiling.

"All my friends are smart," she pointed out, knowing he was losing his patience with her.

"Okay, so I like brain doctors," he replied, laying an arm over his eyes. "And women who hate Princes and would rather hang out with seedy bar owners."

"This place is far from seedy."

"The Prince-"

"Is an asshole."

"See?" he pointed out, grinning widely. "I like women with dirty mouths."

"Which all my friends-"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," he muttered, and she imagined he was rolling his eyes beneath his arm.

The room grew quiet, and she knew any chance of whatever could have come of this was probably ruined. It wasn't her fault that people didn't understand how careful she had to be. Not to mention that the last thing she wanted to do was him to remember what had happened tomorrow and regret it.

And he most definitely would regret it. Normal, attractive men didn't pick up on women with HIV, regardless of the fact that she was a brain specialist, was extremely cultured, and could drink any man under the table.

Sighing, she turned to face him, and wasn't all too surprised to find that he was passed out. "Johnny," she said, poking him on the shoulder, to which he responded with a heavy snore. "Johnny?"

Another snore, and much to her surprise, he rolled onto his side, drapping an arm over her stomach.

"Dammit," she muttered, letting herself fall back onto the bed.

"Shh," he murmured beside her, pulling her close to him.

"You're awake?" she asked, suddenly feeling as though she'd just gotten played.

"No."

"I'm sorry," she murmured, raking a hand gently through his hair.

He shrugged. "Just stay."

"You okay?" Jason asked, so sincerely that it caught her off guard.

"Just drunk," she replied with a half smile, sitting down hesitantly on the edge of his bed.

She knew that his bedroom was the last place she needed to be, but when he offered her a place to wash up, as well as sober up, she couldn't find a reason to say no.

"You sure that's it?" he pressed, kneeling down in front of her, a damp wash cloth in his hands.

Shrugging, she tucked her hair behind her ears, and shifted her blue eyes to his. "I'm sorry."

"For what?" he asked, placing a hand gently on her knee.

She shrugged again, feeling more nervous with every passing second. "Causing a scene down there, you having to step in," she replied with a frown. "I should have just left when I realized you were both here tonight."

"I'm glad you didn't," he admitted, lifting the washcloth to her cheek, wiping tenderly at her tearstained cheeks.

She promised herself she wasn't going to cry over Nikolas, and in her own defense, this was more like crying about him. She had long ago surpassed the idea of the two of them ever getting back together, especially seeing as he had become controlling and eratic, now that they were apart.

"I wanted to see you tonight," she confessed, grinning half-heartedly as she lowered her eyes to his shoes. "Partly to apologize for the way things went last time..."

"And partly because I still owe you a birthday kiss," she continued, only because she was drunk, and figured she could get away with such an admission.

"Though I doubt you want to get involved with me and my crazed, ex-fiance drama." She paused, grimacing briefly. "Not that we're getting involved or anything. I just-"

"Is he giving you that much trouble?" Jason cut in, cupping her face, while he wiped at the other cheek.

"It's complicated, because we were engaged, and we were planning a life together," she replied seriously, "but he wanted me to be someone I'm not...He wanted me to give up my life for him...My job, my friends, coming here...And it just wasn't fair."

"I agree."

"I think I always knew we would never work out," she continued, scolding herself for going on and on about Nikolas, when she should be focusing on Jason. "It was too cookie cutter and ideal. I think I got caught up in the fun that it once was.'

"Being a princess?" he asked, arching an eyebrow.

She nodded, laughing quietly. "That quickly lost it's silver lining," she murmured, pointing at her head. "Tiaras look terrible on me, and diamonds are just so gaudy."

The room grew quiet for a minute, and he just stared at her intently, as if he were trying to figure her out.

"Do you really own this place?" she asked, for at least the tenth time in the last hour.

He nodded.

"I just never remember seeing you," she said, feeling as if there was no way she could forget him.

"You were caught up in other things," he replied with a shrug, looking at her as if he knew more than he was letting on.

"But you've seen me?"

"You and your friends come here a lot," he said, stretching to toss the washcloth onto his nightstand.

"You're avoiding the question," she replied, noticing how he didn't completely answer her.

Sighing, his eyes flashed to hers, and he placed both hands on her knees. "I've noticed you."

"Noticed?" Elizabeth asked, leaning forward so that she was that much closer to him.

He nodded, lifting a hand to cup her cheek again, and slowly drew her mouth to his. When Jason kissed her, she found it impossible to think of anything, even her own name. And when his tongue parted her lips, and he shifted to move from the floor, she felt everything else fade away. Sliding an arm around her, he lowered her gently to the bed, almost nervously, but she tugged his body down on hers, letting him know that it was okay.

Suddenly, she felt drunk all over again; the touch of his lips and the movement of his hands far more intoxicating than any liquor she'd ever drank.

She mewed against his mouth when his teeth raked gently over her lower lip, and she was well aware of his hands sliding beneath her shirt. He shifted his weight over her, giving her enough space to slide her hands beneath his shirt, and she raked her fingernails against his back, her hips thrusting upwards.

"Jason," she moaned, after he'd inched her camisole down enough to expose her breast, and was brushing his lips lightly over her skin.

The room spun around her, and the only thing she could focus on was him moving above her. She wanted it all at one time; his hands on her skin, his naked body pressed against her, and most of all, him inside her.

"Jason," she half groaned, when his mouth suddenly moved away from her body, and he was sitting beside him on the bed. "Jason, wha-what's wrong?"

He shook his head, rubbing his palm over his flushed face. "You're drunk, Elizabeth."

"I know, but when has that mattered?" she asked, laughing to herself as she gripped the comforter, and pulled herself up beside him. "Just pretend it's charming."

"I don't have to pretend," he murmured, looking over at her. He slid an arm around her and leaned over to kiss her gently, and she shuddered at the touch of his lips against hers. "But you're too drunk for anything except sleep."

"Sleep?" she asked, arching an eyebrow.

He nodded, moving hurriedly, as if trying to ignore that he wanted her as bad as she did him. Before she knew it, the bed was turnd down, she was under the covers, and Jason was beside her. "Sleep," he repeated, brushing her hair away from her face.

She turned so that her face was pressed against his chest, and she sighed happily as she breathed him in. "Jason?" she whispered, as he slid an arm around her, and pulled her close.

"Hm?" he asked, gently combing his fingers through her hair.

"Happy Valentine's Day."

I"Ah, well, another lover's holiday well spent," Kelly mused, sliding a finger into her glass of water to pull out a piece of ice.

"You're awfully happy for someone who is spending Valentine's Day alone," Coleman said, leaning against the bar.

She laughed, popping the piece of ice into her mouth. "I didn't spend it alone," she replied, crunching down on the ice. "My friends have just left me to celebrate on their own-Well, not on their own, so I'm sure they are having a good time."

"And what about you?" he asked, arching an eyebrow at her.

"Uh, no," she muttered, wagging a finger at him. "I'm fine, recovering sex addict and all, you see."

"Oh, did you mistake that for an offer?" he teased, and she could only roll her eyes.

"Coleman, why don't you have a lady?" she asked, suddenly curious as to why he seemed so alone.

Sure, he was somewhat creepy and always perverted, but there had to be a woman out there who liked that.

"Who says I don't?" he asked with a wink, sliding a key across the bar to her.

Her mouth fell open, and she looked at him stunned. "Are you kid-"

"You shouldn't be driving, and It's the last available room," he cut in, holding up his hand. "And it's on the house, seeing as your friends are off doing God knows what, which I'll probably have to clean up after tomorrow."

She stumbled off the stool, snatching the key in her hand. "Aw, you really do you love me, don't ya?"

He laughed, winking at her. "I love every woman."

_Upstairs at Jake's, Approximately 5:40 A.M._

"Okay, someone better start fessing up," Kelly said, glancing around at her friends.

"What about you?" Elizabeth asked, narrowing her eyes at her friend. "Ms. Recovering Sex Addict?"

She rolled her eyes, pushing herself away from the railing. "Maybe it's better if we just let this hang in the air."

"I couldn't agree more," Nadine muttered, pulling her hair into a messy ponytail.

Every girl turned to look at her, and Emily slowly made her way up the stairs. "Did you sleep with the nerd?"

"What about you and Dr. Hottie?" the blonde asked teasingly, folding her arms over her chest.

"None of your business," Emily replied, coming to a stop at the top of the landing. She pressed two fingers against her temples and rubbed hard. "I wouldn't even be dealing with this, but I left my stupid purse, and I had to come back for it."

The girls all looked around at each other in silence, and then somewhere in the hallway, a floorboard creaked.

"Oh, hell," Robin cried, pushing past them and scurrying down the steps.

"I have to go," Nadine muttered, following after her, and soon all six of them were clamoring down the stairs.

"This is just...bad," Elizabeth said to herself, tugging nervously at her loose curls.

"We are never talking about this again," Lainey hissed, as they rounded into the hallway outside of the bar. "I don't need to know what any of you did, and I have no desire to tell you what I...Gosh, I'm going to need to go to therapy for weeks."

Kelly laughed joyously, slapping her friend on the arm. "It's not so bad," she said, looping her arm through Lainey's, as she pulled a wad of cash from her pocket.

"Where did you get that?" Elizabeth asked, eyeing it widely.  
"Just some bet," Robin answered, shaking her head, and everyone but Elizabeth laughed.

"I'll put it to good use," the OB offered, holding it up in the air, and her friends just looked at her. "Come on, you guys are all sneaking out and doing the walk of shame, so I figured the least I can do is buy you breakfast."


	4. Chapter 4

**Prompt: Lucky Charm**

**March**

"Oh, a penny," Nadine muttered, stooping down in Jake's parking lot to scoop up the tiny, copper coin.

Elizabeth frowned, shaking her head. "It was on tails."

"So," the blonde said, tossing it back and forth between her hands.

"Lemme guess," the brunette mused, arching an eyebrow at the nurse. "Aunt Rayleen has a saying for this."

Nadine laughed, holding the penny up to Elizabeth's face. "You know, find a penny, pick it up, all the day you'll have good luck," she replied gleefully.

"More like find a penny, pick it up, and all the day you'll have a penny," she said, pulling open the door to the back entrance of Jake's.

The front door was still locked, waiting to be opened at noon for the grand celebration that was St. Patrick's Day. Green beer, four leaf clovers, and bad Irish accents were sure to make an appearance.

"So pessimistic," chided Nadine, following her friend down the hallway towards the bar. "Why are we here so early anyway? You should never drink this time of day."

"Oh, I guess that Aunt Rayleen never passed on the saying of, it's five o'clock somewhere," she replied, pausing in the doorway that opened to the bar.

Green streamers hung from the ceiling, and pots of peanuts sat on every table. Both women looked to the bar and weren't at all surprised to see Coleman, but it was Jason that caught the brunette's attention.

"Didn't think he would be working," she muttered, sucking in a breath when his eyes landed on hers.

"Well, Negative Nellie," Nadine murmured, nudging her in the arm with her elbow, "what are you going to do about it?"

She scowled, looking at the nurse. "The same thing you've done about sleeping with dork boy," she teased playfully. "Absolutely nothing."

The blonde's face fell, and she looked away. "You really don't know what you're talking about."

She grew quieter than usual, and Elizabeth wondered if she had crossed a line. Like the others, Nadine had remained tight lipped on what exactly happened in the room above Jake's. Spinelli popped up around the hospital, appearing more nervous and anxious than usual. And everyone pretty much figured it out when Kelly overheard the computer geek talking to Nadine about mating rituals.

They had so done the deed, and poor Nadine was too embarrassed to admit it, which only meant one of two things; it was terrible and awkward, or Nadine regretted ever having jumped him while so inebriated. They wanted to place their bets on the latter, but it was Spinelli after all, and there had been no time to google any of it.

"Aw, come on," Elizabeth said, throwing her arm over Nadine's shoulder. "I'm just messin' with you. Lord knows we've all gotten drunk and gone after-Okay, well, Kelly has done it."

"I don't want to talk about this," the blonde muttered, slinking out from beneath the brunette's arm. She grabbed Elizabeth's hand, dropping the penny into her palm. "Luck is obviously the last thing that's going to get me anywhere, but perhaps, it can be of use to you."

"There's also some saying about picking up a penny on tails and passing it on to someone else," Nadine continued, biting her lip as if she couldn't quite remember. "You pass off the bad luck or something."

She rolled her eyes, staring down at the penny. "I don't want your bad luck penny."

"Well, you're going to need some kind of luck for your Leather Jacket explanation," Nadine pointed out, nodding in Jason's direction. "You slipped out unnoticed, and I know that you didn't sleep with him, and I also know he likes you."

"Not helping," she groaned, forcing at smile when his eyes caught hers again.

"Go," the nurse pressed, poking her in the arm. She jiggled her pocket and tossed her head towards the jukebox. "I'll go play you two a love song."

"Brat," Elizabeth hissed, grinning at her, before making her way over to the bar. She slid onto a stool, directly in front of him, and placed her chin in her hand. "So, you're working?"

He nodded, pulling one of the coolers shut, and kicking an empty beer case across the floor. "I do that from time to time," he replied, leaning against the bar. "You're here early."

"Day off," she said, relieved that nothing about this felt awkward at all. "And I hear when the first keg is tapped, you get a free beer."

"If I remember correctly I do owe you a free drink," he replied, arching an eyebrow at her.

"Only if it's green," she said, wagging a finger at him. "Green shots, green beers, green vodka."

"That's asking for a hell of a hangover," he murmured, reaching for a glass.

She leaned across the bar, watching him fill her glass. "I have experience. I can handle it."

A smile tugged at his lips as he slid the beer across the bar. "First one of the day," he said, shaking his head when she took a long drink. "It's barely noon."

"But it's five o'clock somewhere."

"You'll be gone by sundown."

"Which could be good…All depending on where I end up," she said with a wink, as she ran her finger across the top of her glass.

"Which could be bad," he replied, leaning over towards her, and lowering his voice. "Depending on how you leave the next morning."

She winced, biting her lip. "I deserve that," she said, wrapping her hand around the cool glass. "I'm sorry."

"You don't have to apologize," he muttered, taking her half empty glass and refilling it.

"It was just awkward, and I was a mess, and I just-"

"It's okay."

"It doesn't have to be," she murmured, taking her glass back from him.

"But it is," he countered, his eyes flashing to the door to see a crowd of customers coming in. "I'm sorry, but I've-"

"Got to work," she cut in, sliding off the stool. "I'll try to make it till sundown."

"I'll try to get off," he replied, smiling coyly. "Maybe, we can uh, do something…Outside of the bar…If you're not a goner."

"In that case, I won't be," she said, grabbing her glass off the bar. "Well, all depending on what you have in mind."

He held up his hand to a few patrons leaning against the bar. "Something tells me you've never been on a motorcycle," he muttered, his cerulean eyes staring into hers.

She laughed softly, shaking her head. "And something tells me you're going to change that."

"I don't know what the hell to do," Lainey hissed, glancing up at Elizabeth as she pulled out a chair and sat down at the table. "I told him before we slept together that he was just using sex as a way to ignore what was really wrong, and maybe I was doing that too."

"Leo?" the brunette asked, arching an eyebrow at Nadine, who nodded.

"So, she slept with him?" she asked, and the blonde nodded again.

"And it was obviously bad," the brunette muttered, taking a sip of her beer.

"Hello, Dr. Winters is right here," the psychiatrist cried, placing a hand on her chest.

"I've been trying to get this story out of you for weeks now," Elizabeth said seriously, glaring at her friend. "But you refused to buckle."

"Just like you refuse to buckle on Leather Jacket man."

"Because nothing happened."

"Oh, right, and you weren't just over there shaking your hips at him and getting free drinks because nothing happened," Lainey replied, rolling her eyes as she looked at Nadine. "You can't honestly believe-"

"I am neutral," the blonde said, holding up her hands. "Switzerland is a comfortable place to be."

"Because you don't want us questioning you about the Jackal," Lainey replied annoyed.

"Let's get back to the task at hand here," Elizabeth sighed, sliding her beer across the table to her friend.

"Thanks," Lainey said, taking a long sip, clearly in more need of it than the nurse. "So, we slept together, but I swear, if you tell anyone, especially Kelly, I'll kill you."

"So it was bad?" Elizabeth asked, appearing somewhat amused by the thought.

"Really bad," she cried, slumping forward and holding her face in her hands. "Epically bad. Like lasting ten seconds of awkwardness bad, and I don't even think I got that turned on by any of it."

"Ouch," both nurses replied, staring down at the table.

"And I keep bumping into him, but I'm trying not to," she continued, lifting her head up just enough to take another sip of the beer. "I told him that he was manifesting me to be something I wasn't, and Kelly told me that I couldn't use sex to stop feeling sad…God, I'm a mess."

"Aw, honey," Elizabeth sighed, scooting her chair over and draping her arm over Lainey's shoulder. "We all have had-"

"You've never had a one night stand-"

"I was going to say bad sex," the brunette interrupted, squeezing her friend's shoulder. "The first time Nikolas and I slept together, it wasn't that great. It was awkward and rushed, and I'm pretty sure he got off and I didn't."

"Does Kelly know this?" the psychiatrist asked, tilting her head to look up at her. "Cause she would have such a good time-"

"No, she doesn't," the nurse replied flatly, narrowing her eyes at Lainey as a warning to keep it between them. "Sex isn't always good, but once Nikolas and I figured out what one another liked and didn't, we learned how to flip the switch on one another in seconds."

"Seconds?" the blonde mused from across the table.

"Don't tell me Spinelli is the only person you've ever slept with," Lainey sighed, shaking her head. "Cause if you lost your virginity while drunk, you need to call me for a session."

"He wasn't," Nadine replied with a frown. "I just haven't had much experience…And you know, this really isn't about me. It's about you."

"It is," Elizabeth said to Lainey, eager to get her point across. "What I'm saying is that what allowed Nikolas and I to get past that awkward first time was our feelings for one another. We had a good connection, and we loved each other, so we worked through it. And you and Leo just have-"

"Ten seconds in a bar room upstairs," she moaned, shaking her head.

"Don't forget about half of a session in your office," Nadine offered, forcing a smile at her.

"I was just having a bad day," she groaned, disgusted by her actions. "I was upset about my dad, and Leo comforted me, which is crazy, right? Patient taking care of the doctor?"

"Honey, you just needed a friend, and that's okay," Elizabeth said seriously, rubbing her hand up and down her friend's back.

"Oh, hell," Nadine clucked, her eyes staring over her friends and at the door.

"What?" the brunette asked, her head whirling around to see Leo and Patrick coming through the door. "Dammit."

"He's here isn't he?" Lainey moaned, sitting up and gathering her things.

"Don't they have surgeries or something?" the blonde said, doing her best to sound annoyed for her friend's sake, only to fail miserably.

"Flowing booze and drunk women," Elizabeth reminded her, watching Lainey get up from the table. "Of course, they'd be here."

"I have to go," she said, tensing up when she turned around to see Leo looking at her. "This is the worst day ever."

"Aw, Lainey," Elizabeth sighed, standing up to give her a hug. "Just do your best to avoid him, okay?"

"Or file a sexual harassment suit," Nadine called out teasingly, and judging from the look on Lainey's face it didn't sound half bad.

"Here take this," the brunette murmured, grabbing her hand and dropping the penny into her palm.

"A penny?"

"It just may be lucky," Elizabeth shrugged, laughing when Lainey rolled her eyes before walking off.

Leo started to call out to the psychiatrist, but she made a bee line for the door, keeping her eyes down, and nearly running over Emily and Kelly in the process.

"Got somewhere to be?" her friends asked, with a laugh.

"Yeah, hell," she replied, grabbing Emily's hand and passing off the penny. "Take this damn thing. Luck is far from what I need these days."

"Okay, ladies, what gives?" Kelly asked, looking around the table at her friends. They were being far too quiet considering that not only were they in a bar, but they were also out on a day that celebrated one of their favorite times. "What happened to Erin-Go-Bragh and all that?"

Emily leaned back in her chair, flipping the penny back and forth between her hands, as she watched Patrick talking to Leo at the bar.

Elizabeth ran her finger over the top of her shot glass, glancing at Jason from the corner of her eye, while Nadine did what she normally did and just stayed quiet.

"It's a shame all his good looks are wasted on a shitty personality," the OB muttered, tossing back her shot as she shrugged.

She expected one of her friends to crack a smile, but they all remained stone faced, which wasn't setting well with her at all. "Oh, come on," she sighed, rolling her eyes. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

"Well?" Kelly pressed, glancing around the table and giving each of them a long, hard look.

"I'm fine," Elizabeth replied, tossing back her shot, and grimacing as the liquor went down her throat.

"I would be too if Leather Jacket Man was having eye sex with me while he worked the bar," the OB muttered, popping one of the bar nuts into her mouth.

"Kelly!" she shrieked, her cheeks growing flushed.

"Don't act modest after sneaking out of his bed," she replied, filling her and Elizabeth's shot glass, and motioning for her friend to hold it in the air. She gently clinked their glasses, sloshing drops of tequila onto the table. "We all know what-"

"Nothing happened," Elizabeth cut in, tossing her shot back and lowering the glass back to the table. "I slept."

"Pathetic," Kelly murmured, shaking her head. "What happened to our resolutions ladies?"

Emily frowned, closing her fist tightly around the penny, her eyes still on Patrick. "They failed," she replied flatly, opening her fist so that the coin fell on the table. "Oh, tails. Big freaking surprise."

"You know, tails doesn't necessarily mean bad luck," Nadine chimed in, still clutching her full shot glass in her hand. She'd yet to have a single, alcoholic drink. "Elizabeth and I were having this conversation earlier, and I gave her a penny, and it brought her luck with Leather Jacket Man. He wasn't even upset with her for sneaking away like some scandalous lady of the night."

"I doubt that penny would bring me any luck in regards to the Man Whore of the Century standing at the bar," Emily griped, bringing her shot glass to her lips and sucking the liquid down in a hurry.

"Well, it's too bad that she gave it to Lainey," the blonde shrugged, a serious smile on her face, making it obvious that she thought this penny would somehow make all the difference in the world.

Emily tipped her head in Kelly's direction, and the two women laughed as the OB leaned over and picked the penny up. "Yeah, well, Lainey gave this to her," she said, still laughing. "So, I think your concept's a bust, sweetheart, unless luck entails her former lover shacking up with some blonde bimbo-"

"Not helping," the intern moaned, holding a hand over her face.

"Oh, suck it up, Quartermaine," Kelly said, throwing her arm over her friend's shoulder and pulling her into a hug. "The way I see it, you're totally kicking ass with your resolution…Well, as long as you've stopped penning nookie dates into your memo book."

"There are no nookie dates to memo anymore," she moaned, chewing her lower lip. "Which is all my fault. Patrick Drake doesn't date women."

"But he sure knows how to lay them," her friend quipped, squeezing her shoulder. Before Emily could give her the evil eye or reply, Kelly smacked the table, and the penny clanged against it. "Alright, ladies, it's time to perk up and have some fun."

"Wait…wait…wait," Robin said, holding up her hand and trying to slow her very inebriated friends down just a bit. "I just got here. You're going to have to explain this game to me."

"This penny," Emily slurred, holding it up in front of the brunette. "This is _the_ penny, and you take it, and you flip it into a shot glass."

"One of which belongs to each of us," Nadine replied, clearly being the most sober, aside from Robin. "If it lands in your glass, you have to take the shot, and then take a truth or dare."

"Is this even real?" she asked, looking around at her friends.

"The shots are green!" Elizabeth cried, grabbing the penny from Emily's hand. "Who cares if it's real?" She motioned for Kelly to pour Robin a shot and slide it to the middle of the table. "Okay, my turn-"

"Actually it was mine," Emily cut in, to which Elizabeth rolled her eyes.

"You're too slow, Em," she muttered, concentrating as she held her hand in a fist and balanced the penny against her thumb. "Here goes!" She flicked the penny, somehow managing to send it over her head and onto the dirty bar room floor. "Oh, hell."

"There is no way you are putting that in my drink now," Robin said, reaching for the shot and tossing it back. "I hope you cleaned that penny before you started this whole debacle."

"I got it from Lainey," Emily interrupted with a shrug, grabbing her shot from the center of the table.

"I gave it to Lainey, but I got it from Nadine," Elizabeth muttered, taking her shot.

"And I picked it up in the parking lot," the blonde shrugged, grimacing at how disgusting that sounded, before sucking her shot down.

"The bar parking lot?" Robin asked, raising an eyebrow. "You do realize that hookers, drug dealers, and drunks frequent that parking lot?"

"Are we the drunks?" Emily asked, reaching for the nearly empty bottle of tequila.

"No worries," Kelly said, waving her hand at Robin. "The alcohol killed the germs."

"Oh, sure," Robin replied, rolling her eyes. "Tell yourself that. You're the one who has to worry about-"

"Zip it!" the OB cut in, clapping her hands hastily. "None of this talk about how HIV is so ruining your life. Cry me a river, Scorpio."

Her mouth fell open, and she stared at her friend in disbelief.

"She's right," Elizabeth frowned. "You have a great life, Robin. Who cares about germs and cocktails and all that. Just enjoy it."

"Especially when you have men in really nice suits giving you attention," Nadine threw in nonchalantly, as Emily passed her the tequila bottle.

"How do you know-"

"Oh, we know," Emily murmured with a nod, as she leaned over to the doctor. "We all got together and dwindled down the options. "I had the stuck up surgeon. Elizabeth had the man in the leather jacket. Nadine got the dweeb. Lainey got Dr. What's His Face. And you got Johnny O."

Robin clenched her jaw, suddenly perking up as she turned her attention to Kelly. "So who did you have?"

"Just who I was supposed to," Kelly replied, placing a hand on her chest. "Myself…God, I love this song." She jumped up from her chair, grabbing Robin by the arm and pulling her to her feet. "Have I taught my beloved tequila sisters nothing?...So, you've got some boy woes with the jerk, and the leather, and the nerd, and the all too fine man who knows how to fill out a suit. Don't you know what to do when all else fails?"

All four girls looked at her with smiles and arched eyebrows.

Kelly rolled her eyes, motioning for them to get up. "You dance, ladies! You freaking dance!"

"Five beers," Emily called out to Coleman. "I don't care what kind as long as they're green!"

"Make it six," came Lainey's voice beside her, and the brunette squealed when she saw her. "You came back!"

"Well, it was either that or continue getting rude, drunken phone calls from Kelly," she replied, as her friend threw her drunk body into her arms.

"We're having so much fun, Lain," she said, tossing down her money on the counter as Coleman approached them with their drinks. "You'll be so glad that you came back."

"I hope so," the psychologist muttered wryly, picking up as many beers as possible. After all, she was the sober one, and it seemed highly impossible for Emily to carry them back without spilling.

"It's an all out Girl's Night," the brunette said firmly, holding a beer in each hand. "Who needs men?"

Lainey laughed, raising her eyebrow as she nodded over Emily's shoulder. "Over Patrick, huh?"

"Yes, Emily Q has tried to be a slut, and she can't do it," she replied, tossing her hair over her shoulder. "Who needs some stuffy, self-absorbed doctor to feel good about themselves?"

"I believe you forgot attractive," replied a deep voice behind her, causing Emily's face to fall immediately.

"Lainey, please don't-"

"You got yourself into this one," she interrupted, taking the extra beer from her friend and balancing it in her arms as she made her way back to their table.

Taking a deep breath, Emily took a long swig of her beer and turned around to face her previous suitor. Not that you could call him that. Everyone knew Patrick Drake didn't suit anyone except himself.

"Dr. Drake," she said, with a formal nod.

"Dr. Quartermaine," he replied with a wink, as if he was turned on by this exchange, which only upset her even more.

She bit her lip thinking about how he hadn't called her in a month, and how he only spoke to her at the hospital, and how those conversations only revolved around work. This was after not only sleeping with her in a seedy bar room, but also in the on-call room the next morning. She could excuse the drunken lay, but he was very sober when he'd pinned her up against the shower wall.

"Are you okay?" she asked, tipping her head and looking up at him. "You just…You look a little thirsty."

He grinned slyly as if he'd gotten an 'in' of some kind. "Just so happens I was coming to get a drink."

"Let me help you with that," she replied, turning briefly to the bar, then back around and tossing her beer in his face.

"What the hell, Emily?" he cried, wiping his face with the back of his hand.

"What?" she asked, backing away from him, and waving a hand by her ear as if she couldn't hear him. "You don't like that kind of in your face service?"

She didn't hear his reply because her friends surrounded her, and they broke down into a pile of drunken hysterics while Patrick stood there soaking wet and dumbfounded.

"Nurse Nadine," the Jackal said softly, approaching the blonde as she bobbed her head to the music and flipped through the jukebox looking for the girls' requests.

She glanced in their direction, not surprised to see they'd all stopped dancing and were watching Spinelli closely. They were evil friends.

"Hey, Spinelli," she replied, as he stepped up beside her. She forced a smile at him, her mind filling with flashes from their night together at the bar.

It wasn't that it was bad, and it wasn't that it was good. She just wasn't ready and neither was he, and she almost felt guilty for taking advantage of the poor guy when he was in such an inebriated state.

"The Jackal feared you loathed him," he murmured, swallowing hard, "seeing as our interactions since the last time-"

"I'm sorry," she interrupted, her face filling with embarrassment.

She really had treated him awful, blowing him off when he stopped by the hospital and trying to pretend that nothing had happened. So much for being kind to the best guy in the bar, and the one she should have been happy to go home with.

"Come on, Nadine!" she heard Kelly call out behind her.

Dropping the quarters into the jukebox, she glanced down at the disc list and pressed in several random numbers. Glancing back at Spinelli, she gave him an apologetic smile and looked in the direction of her friends.

"I understand," he said with a nod. "I won't keep you ladies from celebrating the day of the Irishman, the whiskey, and the potato famine…All important factors in today's world."

"Look, we'll talk soon," she replied with a laugh. "It's just…All the girls have boy troubles and all that. It's a hardcore girl's night."

He nodded, but didn't say anything, and she found herself feeling even guiltier. Muttering a half-hearted goodbye, she started for her friends, stopping only when he called after her.

"Yeah?" she asked, turning around.

"Uh, well," he stammered, stepping closer to her. "The Jackal understands that our last interaction was one of epic proportions, and well…He fears…" Sighing with frustration, he tugged his hat from his head, and twisted it around in his hands as he stared at her. "Was it bad?"

Her heart swelled at his words, and she leaned in to press a soft kiss against his cheek. "No, it wasn't bad at all," she replied, letting her cheek linger against his. "In fact, Nurse Nadine looks forward to doing it again…_Someday_."

"Well, well, well," Leo muttered, eyeing Lainey as she stepped out of the ladies room and started to head back into the bar.

"Do we have to do this?" she asked, taking a deep breath.

"Do what? Pretend that we aren't still completely hot for each other?" he asked, arching an eyebrow as he stepped towards her. He cornered her, placing one of his hands on the wall beside her head.

"This is why doctors don't sleep with patients," she moaned, leaning her head back against the wall."

"This is why they do," he replied, gazing at her with glazed over bedroom eyes.

She almost laughed aloud, wishing that Kelly was around to see this. "Leo, sweetheart, you're a great guy, but…"

"I don't like buts," he groaned, shaking his head. "We were having fun. Let's have-"

"You were having fun," she interrupted, frowning at him. "I was-I was barely getting started before it was over."

"What?" he gasped, chuckling to himself as if it were some kind of joke.

She nodded, wondering if she should feel guilty, but he was drunk and probably wouldn't remember. "It wasn't good, Leo, and I think we should just part ways."

"Excuse me," he said dramatically, placing a hand on his chest. "I know how to satisfy-"

"Please, don't," she interrupted, stifling a laugh against her hand. "We should pretend that entire night never happened. Hell, I barely remember it, so-"

"Exactly, which means we need to try this sober, because that day in your office-"

"She's a grieving woman!" Kelly cried, rushing down the hall to her friend. "Back away! She doesn't know what she's doing!"

"Or what the hell she's talking about," he replied, throwing his hands up and stepping away. "But hey, there's plenty of Leo to go around for women who actually want it."

Kelly raised an eyebrow and watched as the doctor walked away with far too much pride in his step. "Did you tell him he was bad?" she asked her friend, a pleased grin on her face.

"Yes," she admitted, looping her arm through her friend's and steering them back to the rest of their dancing crowd. "He's lucky. I didn't get to tell him that there's really not enough of Leo to go around."

"So, you just going to ignore me all night or what, Doctor?" Johnny asked, sliding up beside Robin as she waited to order another round of green beers for her friends.

"I wasn't ignoring you," she replied, knowing it was only half a lie. She really had been too preoccupied with her friends, but that didn't mean she hadn't noticed him from the second he walked in the door.

"You give a man the best night of his life, and you disappear without a single word," he said, lifting a hand to her face and tucking her hair behind her ear.

"Something tells me Johnny O'Brien has had a handful of best nights," she muttered, rolling her eyes and trying to wave Coleman down. "And I highly doubt I am anything more than a bleep on your radar."

"Hell, you're the first one that didn't put out," he teased with a grin. "That's more than any other one has done."

"Or less," she replied, calling her order out to Coleman.

"Glass half full, glass half empty," he shrugged, tossing down a twenty on the bar that she promptly slid back to him.

"I've got money," she said, throwing her own twenty down.

"Awfully presumptuous of you," he replied, throwing his money back down. "I'm ordering my own damn drink."

She laughed, shaking her head as she called out for Coleman to hurry up. She didn't know why, but she felt the need to get as far away from Johnny as possible, like she wouldn't be able to control herself.

"Here you go, little lady," Coleman said, setting her beers down in front of her.

Johnny pushed the two twenties his way. "Take those beers over to the girls, will ya? Robin's a little tipsy. We wouldn't want her having any party fouls."

"I am just fine, O'Brien," she hissed, scowling as the bartender grabbed the beers before she had a chance to stop him.

"You know what-" she started, but was cut off by Johnny grabbing her by the shoulders and placing his lips over her's.

He kissed her soundly with just enough force to take her breath away and just when she was starting to get into it, he pushed her away and winked. "Take that back to your girlfriends," he muttered, before turning around and disappearing through the crowd.

"What are you doing?"

Elizabeth glanced up to see Jason standing above her as she sat up on her knees, from where she had just been crawling across the floor.

"Well, uh, it's a funny story," she squeaked, as he kneeled down in front of her. "I lost the penny."

"A penny?" he asked, a bemused smile spreading across his face.

"Not a penny," she muttered, looking down at the floor. "_The_ penny."

She knew from his face she sounded like a complete idiot, but she didn't know how to explain it. The day had started as a total bust and somehow along the way the penny had been passed along, and it was the sole reason they got so drunk and started dancing, and well, they wanted it back.

"I flicked it, and it flew over my head," she said seriously, opening and closing one of her hands that she'd accidentally placed into some sticky spot on the floor. She was praying it was liquor, knowing that at this place, it could have been anything.

"You're drunk," he replied, shaking his head, and she was mostly thankful that he looked more amused than annoyed.

"I know," she said, holding a hand over her face. "Please don't be mad at me."

"I'm not," he replied, grabbing her by her hands and pulling her to her feet. "Only a drunk would crawl around on this floor."

"It's your floor," she pointed out, noticing how he glanced down at her sticky hand, and she felt embarrassed.

"Which is why I know not to crawl, sit, or walk barefoot across it," he said, tugging her towards the bar.

She couldn't be sure, but she could almost swear she heard Kelly making some kind of Leather Jacket Man comment in the distance.

"Wait here," he muttered, pushing through the swinging door that led to the other side of the bar, only to reappear seconds later with a wet cloth.

Taking her hand in his, he gently wiped at her palm, and she couldn't help but grin. "You didn't have to-"

"I didn't want you to crawl to the bathroom to try and wash your hands," he teased, wiping her other palm for good measure. When he finished he turned around and tossed it on one of the shelves, and then looked back at her. "So, I'm getting off soon."

"Yeah," she replied, not exactly sure where he was going with it, but then she remembered. "Oh, shit…We were s'posed to take your cycle out and all that. I was going to get my first ride." Frowning, she bit her lip and looked up at him. "I don't know if I can…My friends are all waiting… And I…Crap, I'm sorry. They just have all these problems, and Kelly is probably the only one who would be okay with me sliding on your bike and riding off, but then she'd want all kinds of dirty details, and-"

"Elizabeth," he interrupted, cupping her face in one of his hands and tipping her chin upwards. "It's okay."

"Are you sure? I don't want you to think that I'm blowing you off or anything," she replied, leaning into his palm.

"I don't," he said with a shrug. "I know the last thing to come between is a bunch of women…I think it was dancing the boys away that Kelly called it."

"You talked to her?" she asked, grimacing at the thought.

"Yeah," he laughed. "When she ordered drinks earlier she mentioned it. I think she wanted me to know my place."

"Oh, gosh," she muttered, forcing him to move his hand from her face when she moved to hold her hands over it. "My friends are idiots, and I'm drunk, and-"

"I happen to enjoy you like this," he cut in, tugging her hands away and looking at her. "Though I'm starting to wonder what sober Elizabeth Webber is like."

"Well," she said, trying to act cool and not show just how good that made her feel. "I work at the hospital. You know where to find me."

"I do," he replied, still holding her hands in his.

"Good, then you do that," she said, glancing over her shoulder to see all her friends watching. "I should get back to them before they do something even more embarrassing."

"Alright, I'll see you later," he replied, letting go of her hands. She nodded, already missing his touch, and just when she started to walk away, he grabbed her by her shoulder and spun her around.

"Take this," he muttered, holding a penny out to her. "It's not the lucky one, but you can pretend."

"Thank you," she replied, closing her palm tightly around the coin. He nodded this time, and started to walk away, but Elizabeth reached out, grabbing him by the arm.

"It's only fair that I give you something in return," she said coyly, sliding her arm around his neck and drawing him as close as she could, the swinging door preventing her from being right next to him.

Stretching on her tiptoes, she took his mouth in hers, shoving the hoops and hollers of her friends out of her head. She moaned softly against his mouth when his arms slid around her waist, and his tongue parted her lips. She wasn't sure how long the kiss lasted, but it was enough to leave her out of breath and aching for more.

"I'll find you soon," he whispered, kissing her chastely before turning back to his bartending duties.

She heard laughter behind her and didn't have to turn around to know it was her friends.

"Now that," Kelly murmured, throwing her arm over Elizabeth's shoulder, "is how you keep them coming back for more."

Rolling her eyes, she tossed her head in the direction of their designated dance floor that they'd made just for the occasion. "Come on, we've got dancing to do."


	5. Chapter 5

**Prompt: I Thought You Said You Knew What To Do With That Thing**

**April**

"Mineral water, bottle water, just water," Nadine muttered, staring across the bar at Coleman. "As long as it's not on tap, unless there are regulations for something like that. Doesn't the health board have to check such a thing? If you have papers or something, I'll take tap water, otherwise it better come unopened with a cap."

The bartender arched an eyebrow at the blonde, who'd spent the last twenty minutes lining a bowl of bar nuts in neat little rows. "Are you going to eat those?"

"No, don't you know what kind of germs are in these?" she asked, holding her hands up and rubbing her fingertips together as she frowned. "Urine, fecal matter, just to name a few. Do you have a wipe of some kind? I'm completely disgusted with myself now."

"Got a rag," he shrugged, grabbing one from beneath the counter. "It's a fresh one, but I'm going to have to run it under the tap water."

"Don't be rude," she scolded, sweeping her nuts into a pile, not sure whether to put them back into the bowl or toss them on the floor. She'd just have to let Coleman make that decision, though she didn't really want to see him dump them back into the bowl to serve to the next drunk patron.

"Here you go, sweetheart," he said, handing her the damp cloth and a bottle of mineral water. "Never even been opened."

"Thank you," she murmured, wiping carefully at her hands as she sighed.

"So, what's eating you, honey?" he asked, raking the peanuts into his hand and throwing them into a trashcan below the bar.

She assumed it was a trashcan. Or at least she hoped. Why did she ever let the girls bring her here?

"Nothing, I'm fine," she replied, digging through her purse and letting out shriek of glee when she spied a tiny container of antibacterial cleanser. "Thank God."

"Now why all the fuss over germs if you have that?" Coleman asked, tossing the rag she used beneath the counter, leaving her to wonder what the hell was beneath the bar. It had to be a bottomless trashcan, a long shelf, or worse, he was just tossing the shit on the floor.

She shivered at the thought as she rubbed her hands together, reminding herself that while the bartender was extremely shady, Jason seemed clean enough. After all, Elizabeth was semi-dating him now, though it was hard to keep up when the brunette was so tight-lipped about her own affairs – until she had a few drinks in her, that is.

"Good evening," muttered a much older and creepier man, as he stepped up beside her, ordering several shots. He was dressed in an expensive suit with a bad tie, and he smirked at her as he gave her the once over with his eyes. "Can I buy you a drink?"

"Nadine here is a recovering alcoholic," Coleman replied, lining three shots on the bar and filling them with tequila. He winked at her as he slid the shots across the bar. "She just likes the chatter and the atmosphere, and maybe my company."

"Well, if you ever feel like relapsing," the man said, sliding a business card onto the bar beside her, "give me a call."

Her mouth dropped open and she managed a weak smile before he made his way to the other side of the bar. "Coleman, I think you officially met your perv match," she hissed, picking up the card. "Ric Lansing. Why do I know that name?"

"District attorney," the bartender laughed, shaking his head. "If I were you, I wouldn't get in any legal trouble."

"Great," she said, stuffing the card into her purse and slumping over the bar.

"You sure you don't wanna talk about it?" he asked again, but she shook her head, waving him away.

She opened her water, took a tiny tip, and within seconds her stomach started to churn, just like it had whenever she'd ate or drank anything for the past three days. Sliding off her stool, she held her hand over her mouth, hurrying for the bathroom. She'd feel terrible if she threw up all over the dirty floor. Then again, it may convince someone to clean it.

"Oh, this is disgusting," she moaned, stooping down in front of one of the toilets and bracing her hand against the stall. Her eyes filled with tears as she stared at her rippling reflection in the toilet bowl. "I cannot be pregnant."

"What do I owe this pleasure?" Coleman asked, leaning against the bar as Emily slowly approached.

"I need to think," she replied hesitantly, sitting down across from him. "And I need a beer. Not to drink, but more so to stare at."

"Beer and a water?" he asked, having seen that it was becoming the trend of the evening. "Mineral? Bottled? Tap? Bucket?"

"Any is fine," she said, raking her fingers through her straight, brown hair and sighing heavily.

"Now that is the sound of someone needing the aid of a bartender," Coleman muttered, sliding a bottle of water, deciding against the bowl of nuts after the blonde's whole bit.

"How many people come to you with their problems?" she asked, wrapping her hand around the cool beer, but not daring to bring it to her lips.

"Oh, I'm a regular Freud," he replied, with a wink. "Hell, if I wanted to deal with getting an education, I could easily give Lainey Winters a run for her money."

"Only because you'd suggest that your patients drink," she teased, resting her chin in her hand.

"Not heavily," he chuckled loudly, looking her in the eye. "What's the matter, sweetheart?"

"Why? You have advice that's going to save me?" she asked, attempting to unscrew the lid from her water with one hand.

When she failed to do so, Coleman reached over and opened it for her. "I have advice for everything. Knowing a beautiful lady like yourself, this is probably over a man. A man who is a shithead for ever upsetting you in the first place."

"Oh, a man after my own heart," she murmured, sipping her water.

The bartender shook his head as he watched her double fist the mineral water and beer. "What did Patrick do?"

She groaned, rolling her eyes. "Is there anyone who doesn't know we were sleeping together?" she frowned. "Because that's what it was, just sex. It sure as hell wasn't anything else. This is all Kelly's fault. She was the one that suggested I take more risks, and I stop planning every single little thing. I don't have casual sex, and I sure as hell don't sleep with the higher ups, even if he's really good at it."

"Then again, he'd have to be," she continued, tightening her grip on the bottles. "Patrick Drake's hands aren't the only thing he knows how to use, but he's had so much damn practice that I dunno why I let it surprise me."

"Sounds to me like you're getting laid by a guy who you ladies consider to be a very attractive guy," he shrugged, glancing towards the doorway to see Nadine coming back from the bathroom, where he knew she had thrown up for the third time that afternoon. "What's the problem?"

"The problem is that he obviously didn't do so well in sex-ed," she cried, her eyes filling up with tears. "Oh, God. I shouldn't be telling you this."

"Gotta tell someone," he murmured, watching as Nadine started to hesitantly approach Emily.

"I may, or may not be having a baby with a man who is only interested in sleeping with me in the on-call room or above this stupid bar," she hissed, tears slipping down her face. "And the worst of it, is that it's my fault too. I should have been careful. I should have known how to use a fucking condom!"

"Emily," Nadine said softly, sliding onto the stool.

"Were you listening?" the brunette spat, glaring at the nurse.

"Not by choice, believe me," she replied, holding up her hands and silently declaring her innocence. "I just…I wanted you to know you're not alone."

She wiped her face with the back of her hand and stared at the blonde. "Are you-"

"I have no clue," she admitted, relief washing over her face as she finally let someone in on her secret.

"Me either," Emily sighed, shaking her head. "I have all the symptoms though."

"Me too," she said, clutching her purse tightly in her lap, "but it was only once."

She grunted, taking a drink of water as she continued to hold onto the untouched beer. "It was a lot of times."

"What are you going to do?" Nadine asked, clearly desperate to be shoved in some kind of direction.

"Same thing you are," Emily replied, glancing at Coleman. "We're going to sit here, be miserable and get really drunk on mineral water."

"So explain the problem to me again," Kelly said, leaning against the car door and staring across the roof at Elizabeth.

"He pushed and I pulled away," she replied, rubbing her hands over her face. "Things are different with him. I just-it's like I can't trust myself." She pushed the lock button on her keypad and started across the parking lot towards the bar.

"You like him, right?" her friend asked, sliding her hand over her shoulder.

"I do," she answered, unable to hide her grin that came with the sheer thought of Jason. They'd gone out several times now, mostly for rides on his bike, and it was the most amazing escape from the rest of her life.

He tracked her down at the hospital, just like he promised, and asked her out to dinner, which turned into a bike ride that kept them out all night like long. He drove the cliff road that led to the outskirts of town, and he'd kissed her as the sun came up. It was incredibly romantic, and she refused to tell any of the girls about it, simply because she wanted to keep it all to herself.

They'd gone out several times since then. He always seemed to have a knack for knowing when she was having a bad day, and he would show up with his bike in tow, ready to take her away. The last time they'd ended back up at his place, and just when things got hot and heavy, she panicked, saying she couldn't do this and hurried out of his penthouse.

Yes, the owner of the shadiest bar in town lived in a penthouse. She didn't ask any questions and just took it as it came. There was no doubt that Jason Morgan was a man with a past, one that he didn't want to talk about.

Elizabeth wasn't stupid and knew exactly why she was freaking out, but admitting it to him was too hard. Things were moving quickly between them and she was feeling all the same things she had with Nikolas. Maybe it was guilt or fear, but she just didn't want to find herself in the same place she had been a few months ago. She wanted a commitment without all the things that came with a commitment, and well, that was just impossible.

"What am I going to do with you?" Kelly asked, pulling open the back entrance to the bar. "You have the hottest man I've ever seen, who surely knows how to put all that hotness to use, and you're running."

"It's complicated," she replied, knowing how ridiculous that sounded. Months ago, she was all too willing to let Jason take her. Granted, she'd been intoxicated, but she could still remember how badly she wanted it that night, and now that she could have it, she was freezing up.

"So why are we here?" the OB asked, following Elizabeth down the hallway to the bar.

"You know why we're here," she replied flatly, her heart sinking in her chest when she stepped through the doorway, and Jason was nowhere in sight.

"Judging from the disappointment on your face," Kelly sighed, a grin breaking across her face. "I'd say we're here for the tequila."

"Out with it," Kelly ordered, slamming a shot glass down on the table and wiping her hand over her mouth. She glared across the table at Emily, who was still clutching the now luke-warm beer and a fresh bottle of water, before shifting her eyes to Nadine, who just looked all around miserable. "There's a bottle of tequila sitting in front of you two, and no one's reaching for it."

"I'll reach for them," Elizabeth said, grabbing the bottle and filling two glasses. Taking a deep breath, she tossed them back, one after the other, doing her best not to gag in the process.

"We're just choosing sobriety," Nadine shrugged, grimacing as she watched Elizabeth pour two more shots.

"No one chooses sobriety," Kelly snorted, rolling her eyes. "You think I'm choosing not to have sex? It's just part of the program."

"Liar," the brunette chimed in, tossing back the next two shots. She contemplated pouring two more, but stopped and leaned back against her chair, staring at her friend. "You want to have meaningful sex. That's why you're not having casual, meaningless, screw-whoever-you-can-find sex."

"Is that why you're not having it?" she retorted, narrowing her eyes playfully. "You could be screwing Leather Jacket Man, which would be meaningful, despite whatever reasons you've created in that pretty little head of your's."

"Don't do it!" Nadine and Emily both cried at the same time, their faces turning bright pink when they noticed how the other two women turned to look at them.

"Uh, oh," Kelly murmured, her eyes lighting up. "Looks like our ladies are regretting their one night stands."

"She had a one night stand," Emily muttered, glaring at the blonde from the corner of her eye. "I had lots of encounters where I just couldn't say no. I should have been better prepared for this moment. I should have known it was going to come."

"What moment?" Elizabeth asked, leaning forward and giving her best friend a curious grin.

"Just the…you know…possibility of getting…involved with Patrick Drake….renowned womanizer and…incapable of…"

"Committing," Nadine jumped in, widening her eyes at Emily. "Though I have to hand it to you, I think I'd much rather have someone who wasn't as committed as Spinelli."

The table grew silent, all the women knowing how much the poor nerd had been hanging around the hospital, only to be ignored the majority of the time by Nadine. They hadn't thought about it until now, but that was really odd for her, seeing as she usually paraded him around on her arm, listening as he rambled on about whatever the hell it was tech-geeks talked about.

"Enough," Kelly said, waving the tequila bottle at her silent friends. "Spill it now, ladies, or else I'm going to bend your heads back and make you down this bottle of liquor."

"Oh, I'll grab them by their hair!" Elizabeth chimed in, laughing as she slid an empty shot glass across the table.

"Brats," Emily hissed, glancing at Nadine worriedly.

"Are you waiting for that to surpass piss hot?" Kelly asked, pointing at Emily's beer. "I think it's good and past that."

"No," she snapped, sitting the beer down on the table. "I just wanted the comfort."

"Are you on your period?" Elizabeth asked, motioning for Kelly to hand her to the tequila bottle.

Emily's eyes lifted to Elizabeth, and her face grew flush as her eyes filled with tears. "No," she replied flatly.

"Em, what gives?" she asked, shaking her head at her best friend. "You've been acting weird for days now."

"This isn't about me," she replied defensively, pointing at Nadine. "She's the one being mean to the nerd."

"Oh, and you're just so great to Patrick!" the blonde cried, narrowing her eyes at her. "It's not that hard, Emily. If you don't want to have sex with him, then don't do it. It's not like he's begging you to sleep with him!"

"Oh, Lord," Kelly muttered, grabbing a shot and holding it up at Elizabeth, who did the same, before they tossed them back in unison.

"Are you just pissed because Spinelli's begging you to sleep with him and you don't want to because it was so bad the first time?" Emily replied, getting up from the table.

"You have no idea what you're talking about!" Nadine shouted, jumping up beside her. "It was one time, and it wasn't bad, but of course, you're used to good sex because Patrick has had so much damn practice at it."

"Ladies!" Kelly cried, getting up from the table and shaking her head at them. "We do not fight at the bar. This is a place of peace."

"Oh, hell," Elizabeth muttered, holding her face in her hands.

"What's wrong with you?" Emily snapped, looking around the bar. She rolled her eyes when they landed on Jason, who had just walked in with Spinelli and Johnny in tow. "This is far worse for Nadine."

"Emily!" the blonde growled, smacking her on the arm. She spun back towards the table when Spinelli started in her direction. "I need a drink."

"You need like ten," Emily murmured, glaring at the nerd in hopes that he would get a clue and disappear.

"Here," Kelly said, handing her the tequila.

"I can't," Nadine moaned, backing away from the table. She held her hand over her mouth, like she'd gotten a bad whiff of the liquor. "God, I'm going to be sick."

"Oh. My. God," Elizabeth and Kelly cried in unison, their eyes going straight to each other.

"Are you oh-my-Goding about what I'm oh-my-Goding about?" the OB asked, her mouth hanging open.

"If you mean Jason flirting with that pathetic ass blonde at the end of the bar, then yes," Elizabeth replied, narrowing her eyes in his direction.

Kelly glanced over to see Jason sitting beside a blonde in a pair of jeans and a far too revealing top. She leaned over just enough to give him a view of her breasts.

"Unfortunately, she's talking about Nadine," Emily sighed, relieved to see that Spinelli was retreating back to his friends. "Being pregnant is way worse than Leather Jacket Man picking up a woman who will actually sleep with him."

"Pregnant?" Elizabeth cried so loudly that heads turned to their table. "I'm not pregnant!" She jumped up from the table so quickly that her chair fell backwards, and she would have fallen over had Kelly not grabbed her arm.

"Let's hope not for the sake of the baby," Kelly said, holding her arm to steady her as she looked at Emily. "Though something tells me Nadine's not the only one with possibilities in utero."

"I'm not having a baby!" the brunette repeated, jerking out of her friend's grasp.

"I didn't say you were," she hissed back, knowing from the look on Jason's face, he'd heard her clear across the bar. "Great, now what are we going to do?"

"He didn't really hear me, did he?" Elizabeth moaned, from where she sat on the floor of the women's bathroom, her head resting against the side of the trashcan.

"Yeah, he kind of did," Emily replied, stooping down in front of her, a guilty smile on her face. "It's my fault. I should have never-"

"No, you shouldn't have!" Nadine shouted from inside one of the stalls. The toilet flushed, and she appeared seconds later, a heavy scowl on her face. "You had no right to tell any of them I'm pregnant. One, it's none of their business, and two, I don't even know if I am!"

"Well, I let myself out in the process!" she cried back, standing back up and staring her in the face. "You should be happy because if you are pregnant, at least you got knocked up by someone who's not a commitment-phobic freak! Spinelli would probably be a good dad-"

"As long as he could Google," Elizabeth chimed in, moaning softly as she slumped against the trash can.

Emily couldn't help but laugh, not only at what she said, but just over Elizabeth's entire state. She was a complete and utter mess, and sadly, she was the one who seemed to have the perfect guy, and was running quickly in the other direction.

"Elizabeth," Nadine clucked, digging through her purse as she walked over to her, pulling out her bottle of anti-bacterial cleanser. "Here, honey." She gently pulled Elizabeth's head to the side, rubbed the cleanser on the side of her face, and let her head drop back against the garbage can.

"I can't believe he heard me," she moaned, holding a hand over her face.

"You're not pregnant, so there's nothing to be upset about," Emily reminded her, motioning between her and Nadine. "We're the ones that could be giving birth to the next generation of Drakes and Spinellis."

"Don't say it like that," Nadine moaned, leaning against the sink and looking at her reflection.

"I have to go talk to him," Elizabeth muttered, pushing herself up from the floor. She rubbed a hand against the side of her face. "What the hell did you-"

"Okay, ladies!" Kelly said, bursting into the bathroom, a paper bag tucked beneath her arm. "Pregnancy tests at your disposal."

"You cannot be serious," Emily said, watching her pull out six different pregnancy tests.

"Did you drive?" Nadine asked, eyeing her suspiciously.

"No, there's a drug store on the corner. I hobbled my way down there, managing to catch the man just as he was locking up," she replied, opening two of the boxes and pulling the sticks out. "Granted, when he saw that I was buying tests in a state of inebriation he was clearly worried, but that doesn't matter."

She held the sticks out to each of the women as Elizabeth made her way to the door. "Wait, you can't leave yet!" she cried, moving in front of the door. "They have to take their tests!"

"Them, not me," Elizabeth groaned, bracing one hand against the wall. "But if he thinks I'm pregnant-"

"He doesn't think you're pregnant," Kelly said, rolling her eyes as she waved the sticks at her friends. "I made sure of it." Elizabeth's face turned to stone. "I told him that you weren't pregnant."

"You did not!" Nadine cried, leaning over the sink as she held her stomach. "That means that he knows either me or Emily may be!"

"Well, you know this isn't my fault!" the OB snapped, glaring at both of them. "You're in the medical field. You should know what the hell to do with a condom."

"I know how to use a condom!" Emily hissed, grabbing the stick from her and hurrying into one of the stalls. "I took sex-ed, you know. And I've had a lot of sex, but sometimes you forget."

Kelly grunted, leaning against the door and staring at Nadine. "So, what's your excuse?"

"Tequila," she spat, jerking the stick from her hand and going into the other stall.

"Did you really talk to Jason?" Elizabeth asked weakly, wobbling back and forth on her feet.

"Of course not," she replied in a low voice. "Besides, you haven't slept with him, so it wouldn't be his baby if you were."

"No, it would be Nikolas' baby," she said, wiping at her cheek and looking down at her hand.

"Oh," Kelly said, grimacing. "That would definitely not be good." She stepped forward, pounding on the stalls. "What's the fuss, ladies?"

"I can't pee!" Nadine whined, kicking the stall.

"Well, too bad!" she replied, hitting the door again. "You should have learned how to properly use a condom!"

"Done!" Emily shouted, opening the stall and appearing with a frown on her face. "If it's positive I don't want to know."

"Doesn't that sort of defeat the purpose?" Elizabeth asked, as Kelly laid the test on the sink, and Emily washed her hands.

"Would you wanna know if you were pregnant right now?" Emily asked, looking at her in the reflection of the streaky mirror above the sink.

"Fair enough," she murmured, just as Nadine's hand appeared below the stall, tossing the stick out. "I don't want to know anything." She stepped out soon after, rubbing her hands with the anti-bacterial cleanser.

Kelly smiled at the girls as she bounced back and forth on her feet, ready to keel over with anticipation. When the time had passed, she leaned over and picked up the sticks. A grin broke across her face as she looked up at them mischievously. "So, can I be a godmother?"

"We're not pregnant!" Emily screeched, launching into Patrick's arms and kissing him hard the second he walked into the bar. She'd had several shots of celebration, vowing to never allow such a thing to happen again.

"God, Lainey and Robin are going to be so sad they missed this," Kelly laughed, sipping her beer a she poked Elizabeth in the arm and pointed in Nadine's direction. She was sitting on the far end of the bar, talking quietly to Spinelli while they held hands. "Oh, nerd love."

Elizabeth chuckled softly, nursing her beer and refusing to look over her shoulder at Jason, who'd been standing behind her for the last twenty-five minutes playing pool with Johnny. She was too scared to speak to him, too nervous to turn around, and too drunk to get up and do either of the other two things.

"You know, it's evenings like this where I feel most proud that I'm no longer a sex addict," she proclaimed, grinning widely. "Seriously, I get to be with my friends and pass on all my genius wisdom about life and sex and-"

"Using condoms," Elizabeth interrupted, arching an eyebrow at her, teasing her about the speech she'd given both girls about the importance of contraceptives and condoms.

"Yes, and had the bar had a banana on hand, I would have given a very good tutorial," Kelly said, nudging her with her elbow as she winked. "Using only my mouth." She got up from the stool and grabbed her purse. "My work is done. I'm going to check the lot for cabs. You want to get a lift with me?"

"No, I'm okay," she replied, glancing at Jason's reflection the mirror behind the bar. He looked up just in time to catch her eye, but quickly turned his attention back to his pool game.

"Good luck," Kelly murmured, tossing her purse over her shoulder and forcing a smile, before she hurried off towards the back entrance.

"Wait," Elizabeth called after her, sliding herself slowly off the stool. "Kelly!" She grabbed her purse, glanced one last time in Jason's direction, not surprised that he was looking at her, but trying not to be obvious about it.

Shrugging, she hurried to the back of the bar where Kelly was waiting, refusing to sit and pine, all drunk and alone while hanging on the possibility that Jason would talk to her. Then again, she was the one that had made things extremely awkward, so there was a pretty good chance that he was waiting for her to come to him. It was too messy and complicated and made her head hurt more than the tequila.

"I think I'm going to go with you," Elizabeth said, looping her arm through her friend's.

Kelly arched an eyebrow, tossing her head in Jason's direction. "You sure?"

She nodded, rubbing a hand over her face. "I'm drunk. I need sleep. And he had all night to talk to me." Sighing, she couldn't help but look over her shoulder one last time, smiling to see Emily and Nadine with their respective boys.

Tomorrow Emily would whine about how Patrick had used her, and Nadine would blush when Spinelli's name came up, and Elizabeth would do what she always did, just sit back and listen, seeing as she only seemed capable of screwing things up.


	6. Chapter 6

**Attention Readers:**

I just wanted to let you all know that I will **no** longer be updating my fics on this site and that within the next couple weeks or so, I'll have the account removed in its entirety.

I have been having so many issues with uploading my documents from Word and the documents still containing tons of mistakes that aren't in the copy I have saved on my computer. I've tried countless ways of avoiding this, but it's still happening, and lately I've been getting lots of PMs/Emails/Comments about the lack of editing. It's as frustrating for me as it is for you to read, and I'm tired of not being able to fix it, especially when I spend so much time editing them.

I have a personal website with all my fanfics (as well as site exclusives) that you can find here linked on my author page. For some reason I couldn't link it here - just another reason to be pissed off with this site. You do have to register an account to read, but it only takes a few minutes. I send out email alerts every time a story is updated just like you receive on here or you can bookmark a thread to receive alerts when it's updated.

If you wish to continue reading the stories, you'll have to sign up for my site. I know it's inconvenient, but has proven to be more inconvenient than anything else for me, and I'm throwing in the towel.

Hopefully you're not too pissed off at me for doing this and I'll see you on the site.

Ambs


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